Commercial motor riders are digitising their operations to weed out criminals and sanitise their trade.
The union, under the aegis of Riders and Owners of Motorcycle Association of Nigeria (ROMAN), said its members will soon be issued with digital identification.
The National President, ROMAN, Alhaji Olusola Razaq, disclosed this during a sensitisation event held at Karu Palace, FCT, at the weekend.
This latest move by commercial motorcyclists is to help prevail on the government to rescind its decision to ban their operations.
Razaq said his leadership had engaged an ICT company to carry out a digital image capturing of all members nationwide for proper Identification.
He said, “The reason why we are here is to inaugurate the FCT executive ahead of the national reform exercises as ordered by the Federal Government. And like I said, we have gotten a company that will create a database for our members. The move is to ensure that there is proper identification of all members since there are other existing unions across the country.”
He added that the union would seek national regulations that would ensure the establishment of an act in the National Assembly, noting that the reason why the activities of commercial motorcycle riders are being dispised is due to unregulated operation nationwide.
According to him, the days when Okada riders are used for political thuggery are gone.
Razaq said, “We must stress here that Okada riders before now have been used and dumped by politicians who only use them during political campaigns. Of course, we know that the new INEC electoral act perhaps does not give room for such anymore. So, our efforts now are to ensure that Okada riders are well-sensitized like every other Nigerian who can also live their normal lives like good citizens of this country.
“We are also negotiating with the Road Safety and VIO. We are doing this to help millions of Nigerians out of poverty because many families have waited for white-collar jobs endlessly. So, commercial motorcycles have contributed and are still contributing to youth employment opportunities,”
The Commissioner of Police, FCT, who was represented by the Nyanya Area Commander, Habila Maikeffi, advised that commercial motorcycle riders should, as a matter of urgency, start obeying road rules, with special emphasis on plying one-way to beat traffic gridlocks.
Maikeffi, while reiterating police readiness to carry out orders from the police commissioner, also advised the riders on mental health challenges which is a byproduct of banned substances.
He said, “I would like you all to carry out your daily commercial operations with clean health, not under the influence of hard drugs and such makes you cause pandemonium at every little provocation.”