Tears, Pains As Delta Enforces Okada Ban in three Local Government Areas

BY ANDREW IKEHI

Unprecedented outburst of tears and pains were evident yesterday in Ika South and Ika North East local government areas of Delta State as the state government commenced enforcement on the ban of motorcycle operation (Okada) in both local government areas.

During the exercise that lasted several hours by the State Directorate of Transport alongside a team of Military personnel and tricycle union in the state, over 50 motorcycles were confiscated by the state taskforce.

The State Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Benson Igbakpa who led the team noted that though the level of compliance was not 100 per cent, but described it as commendable, just as he explained that a similar exercise which commenced in Sapele recorded higher level of compliance.

While commending the Military for their cooperation during the exercise, Hon. Igbakpa decried the absence of the Police stressing that despite his formal invitation to them for the exercise, they failed to show up.

Meanwhile, contrary to insinuations in some quarters that a political big shot in the area was behind the ban, the Transport Commissioner said, “Let me use this opportunity to correct this ‘devilish and malicious rumour’, because, we have since received the information that a particular politician in Ika North East was the brain behind this exercise. The said Politician is not part of the State Exco and I wonder why he should be accused of influencing the state government’s decision. That rumour is evil and, malicious” Igbakpa said. While reaffirming that the ban cuts across every nooks and crannies of the affected local government areas, Igbakpa advised residents in the area to be patient with the state, just as disclosed that the ban was in the best interest of Deltans as it seeks to address the increasing security challenge in the affected local governments.

Some of the residents, who spoke with our correspondent in the area, decried the ban Íwhich they noted will rather heighten their sufferings just as they observed that “Okada was their only means of transportation given what they described as the poor road network in the area as well as considering the fact that local governments are mainly agrarian communities.

The POINTER reports that the commencement of the ban in the three recent local governments, bring the local government areas already affected in the state to eight.
Source: Onu Ika