Many people living in Lagos would agree that in a manner that can largely be found as consistent, the Lagos State government has displayed that it is prepared to shoulder its responsibilities to the people, the environment, and of course the future of the city. The challenges and the threats confronting a city composed in the way that Lagos is, needs to be handled with great sense of duty and responsibility. Lagos has the potential of suddenly becoming unmanageable, and things can indeed spiral out of control. This possibility remain a constant headache and must occupy the attention of those who are in charge of managing the city.
Functional and well-run cities across the world are managed within the ambit of visible and accountable leadership, strong laws, strong institutions, as well as a disciplined and committed citizenry. Today, the challenge of managing a thriving, livable and sustainable city has become even more arduous. Cities continue to draw and command serious attention. Countries are rated and taken more seriously on the strength of their cities. Cities are now major drivers of investment decisions. Investments that would end up driving the local economy on the path of development are contingent upon the quality and visible tracks of progressive and result-oriented city management. Cities have also become centres of national socialisations, as other city and town managers begin to benchmark, copy and emulate successful practices and models. Cities have not just local, but international attractions, and indeed define and bouy perceptions. When people come into your city, they can quite easily judge what kind of people you are.
In Lagos, as in most parts of Nigeria, motorcycles are popularly referred to as Okada. The Okada phenomenon, also sometimes referred to as the Okada menace, has over time become one of the delicate touchpoints in Lagos. Depending on your side of the divide, arguments for and against it can be unassailable. It is within this prism that one can conclude that the hues and cries generated by the restriction of Okada to some routes in Lagos are not unexpected. And admittedly, this is not just by the practitioners, but of course users, also activists, political opponents and opportunistic critics and cynics.
But it was not always like this! Until just a few years ago, Okada was virtually a non-existent feature in the consciousness of the average Lagosian. Though existed elsewhere, it was never considered as fit for this environment. Rather, we had the molues, the kabukabus, the danfos, and a few and far in-between taxis or cabs. And unlike what is beginning to emerge, the transportation system was badly structured, badly organised, largely informal, and could be described as a knocked-down engine. Government intervention in terms of the enabling environment and provision of physical infrastructure was minimal and not based on any sustainable strategy. However, with astronomical increase in population, unchecked urban expansion, sundry economic pressures and other city-related challenges, the okada trade jumped on Lagos and grew to become an invidious phenomenon.
The most common argument against the okada trade from many quarters is the unacceptable rate of accident fatalities that have maimed and also claimed many lives. This argument cannot be overstressed.
It does not matter the sentiments, we as a people need to stop succumbing lamely to dehumanising conditions in order to justify a living. What may be considered expedient, in most cases, is not necessarily dignifying. Part of the reasons we have come to this sorry pass as a people is that we have become people of very little sense of personal and collective dignity.
A few years back, it was possible to get good barbers, tailors, mechanics, panel beaters, welders, vulcanisers, masons, builders and the likes. Today, the story is different. Pay a visit to any of such workshops these days, you would find only the sole proprietor doing all the work. In many instances, he is old and therefore declining in capacity and productivity. Ask why he is the only one in his workshop, he would tell you that all the young ones in the neighbourhood have taken up Okada as a trade. Therefore, we have stopped producing artisans and workmen! It is not an unfounded or far-fetched fact that we now rely on workmen from Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Benin Republic, etc.
Even school children are riding okada! What kind of future are we envisaging?
Anyone who has fallen victim of the rage of the okada riders would support any move to contain this menace. In their typical unruly manners, they do not obey traffic rules. They ignore traffic lights, ride on kerbs and flowers, meander through tight angles and columns, ane end up damaging anything in sight. They damage urban infrastructure and run away. They would break your vehicle lamps, tear down your bumper and damage your side mirror, and quickly bolt from the scene.
Many of them also rob. They follow people as soon as they step out of the bank carrying anything that looks like cash. They rob them of the cash and leave them stunned, if they’re lucky not to have been shot. There are countless stories to tell.
To change the face of Lagos, courageous leadership is a prerequsite. A few attempts to deliver on strong reforms have always been met with very stiff resistance from diverse quarters and many times with ulterior designs. One would recall a few years ago when the Ministry of Transportation came up with the idea of MOT testing for vehicles in Lagos. The idea was so badly received, lampooned, condemned and derided until the government abandoned it, the merits of it notwithstanding. The Bus Rapid System also suffered the same elite cynicism. All manner of complaints raged against it. Now BRT is working in Lagos. Of course many people would remember the days of na flower we go chop? Similarly, the Oshodi transformation process was not without its fair share of cynicism. Fortunately, government managed to successfully push it through. Today, we all point to it as one of the wonders of government performance.
Government must set clear terms and limits of residency and behaviour for people within its borders. That necessity must not be allowed to be impinged. The alternative is chaos and lawlessness. Many of the people complaining today will simply fold up their activities in Lagos and return to their towns and villages. In a recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranking of the world’s best cities to live in, Lagos was ranked in the bottom top ten on liveability index. Of the top 20 cities that McKinsey has identified as growth hot spots for companies targeting young, entry level consumers, the list includes urban centres such as Lagos, Dar es Salaam, Ouagadougou, Kampala, Lusaka and Ibadan. However, according to MasterCard’s Index of Global Destination Cities, Cairo, Johannesburg, Casablanca, Nairobi and Tunis have been ranked as the top five destination cities in Africa. Lagos did not feature. These are grim statistics that should worry any serious government, and it underscores the fact that, in fact, Lagos needs much stronger actions, and urgently too.
Lagos, no doubt, requires a modern, integrated and well-managed transportation system. Okada has no role to play. It is a misnomer and must not be allowed to become a permanent feature.
