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General News of Monday, 3 February 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Former presidential candidate, Fela Durotoye speaks on Okada/Keke ban

Fela Durotoye Fela Durotoye

Former presidential candidate, Fela Durotoye has lamented the hardship Lagosians have been subjected to by the Keke Napep and Okada ban.

The ban which came into effect on February 1 has seen motorcycles and tricycles prohibited from plying certain roads in Lagos State.

This has left many commuters stranded due to fewer means of transportation with the available ones taking advantage of the demand to hike transport fare

Reacting to the development, Fela Durotoye advised the Lagos State Government to regulate the activities of motorcycles and tricycles instead of an outright ban.

He shared on Instagram: "It’s hard to imagine the pain that millions of people in Lagos are having to go through because of the #OkadaBan.

"My staff narrated their ordeal in getting to work today ... the time delay, the scarcity of transport, the fare hike and I can only imagine what it would be like in the coming days.

"One of the functions of Government is to IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE & THE STANDARD OF LIVING of the people. So far, this policy has clearly not improved the quality of life & standard of living of majority of public transport commuters in Lagos.

"A policy with such huge ramifications should not be a knee-jerk reaction by Government to perceived & real challenges.

"Every challenge is an opportunity to find collaborative ways to create innovative solutions that solve the problems & creates value for all stakeholders. Implementing such solutions must be planned & communicated well in advance with viable alternatives in place, so that no one has to go through any form of suffering by reason of government policy change.

"I urge Lagos State Government to regulate the ‘Okada & Tricycle’ industry rather than an outright ban that causes so much pain & suffering to all.

"It is important for the government to rethink this policy & it’s implementation in a way that provides better alternatives for all stakeholders ... the people, operators & investors.

"There is a right way & a wrong way to solve a problem. We must seek to find the right way that does not create further suffering.

"I also urge Employers/School Administrators & Teachers to show understanding to the current realities that their staff & students are going through in this season", he added.

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It’s hard to imagine the pain that millions of people in Lagos are having to go through because of the #OkadaBan ... . . My staff narrated their ordeal in getting to work today ... the time delay, the scarcity of transport, the fare hike and I can only imagine what it would be like in the coming days. . . One of the functions of Government is to IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE & THE STANDARD OF LIVING of the people . So far, this policy has clearly not improved the quality of life & standard of living of majority of public transport commuters in Lagos. . . A policy with such huge ramifications should not be a knee-jerk reaction by Government to perceived & real challenges. . . Every challenge is an opportunity to find collaborative ways to create innovative solutions that solve the problems & creates value for all stakeholders. Implementing such solutions must be planned & communicated well in advance with viable alternatives in place, so that no one has to go through any form of suffering by reason of government policy change. . . I urge Lagos State Government to regulate the ‘Okada & Tricycle’ industry rather than an outright ban that causes so much pain & suffering to all. It is important for the government to rethink this policy & it’s implementation in a way that provides better alternatives for all stakeholders ... the people, operators & investors. There is a right way & a wrong way to solve a problem. We must seek to find the right way that does not create further suffering. I also urge Employers/School Administrators & Teachers to show understanding to the current realities that their staff & students are going through in this season. . . FD #OkadaBan #RegulateNotBan

A post shared by Fela DUROTOYE (@feladurotoye) on