Ibadan – The Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycle, Owners, Repairers, and Riders Association of Nigeria, ACOMORAN, Oyo State, has appealed to the state government to check the excesses of the Park Managers in the discharge of their duties.
The Chairman, Solomon Olugbode, who made the appeal in a chat with ametrocopy, said the Park Management system, though, a good initiative from the government, will only be effective if the park managers’ activities are restricted to vehicles.
“I believe the Park Managing System is a good idea but one thing about this nation is, we have a good constitution, but the operators are always the problems. The aim of the government to create the PMS is very good but for instance, you just see people who are not into Okada business wanting to take it over, all in the name of Park Managers whereas the government only gave motorists which are under NURTW to Park Mangers, not the Okada or Tricycles.’
Olugbode also clarified that ACOMORAN as a union has not been proscribed as claimed by some erring Park Managers who often try to take over various parks.
‘They are seriously affecting us, they are supposed to be for motors but most of our parks have been taken over because they use thugs.”
Olugbode emphasized the need to restrict the activities of the Park Managers to the Vehicles noting that often times, ACOMORAN members have been arrested for offenses committed by Park Managers in their territory.
“There was a time they pushed someone off a motorcycle and ran away, the police came and arrested Okada riders instead of the Park Managers because we are the ones they know with Okada.”
Speaking on steps taken to address the situation, the Union Chairman said letters have been written to the state government to check the excesses of the Park Managers adding that ‘when you are following due process, it is very slow’.
‘We want the state government to restrict the Park Mangers to vehicles so that we can manage the Okadas, in fact in some areas, they went with thugs to take over, it happened in Ona Ara and Oluyole local governments, they went with thugs carrying all kind of things, but because we know the government did not send them and we are known to be peaceful. That is why we are putting it in writing to inform the government.”
Olugbode restated the call for the collapse of all unions of motorcycles and tricycles owners and riders for easy monitoring and coordination especially for security reasons adding however that work has begun on the process.
“We are on it but it has not been finalized. You know the constitution allows people to gather freely and there is no way the government can act against the constitution of Nigeria but I believe they are working on a way to put the unions together to work. That’s why it is delayed because the association and the government want to be careful in handling the issue.”
He noted that some states like Ogun have collapsed the unions for easy monitoring and to forestall security breaches adding that the Union believes the Oyo state government will do so soon.
Speaking on the recent increase in the price of fuel, Olugbode appealed for reconsideration as such action will necessitate an increase in transportation fares.
‘Where we are buying 200 naira fuel, we have to buy 300 and there is no way it will not affect the price we carry passengers more so with this CoVID 19 regulation that requires us to carry one passenger.”
He
appealed to government at all levels to always consider the impact on the
masses before formulating policies.
The ACOMORAN Chairman charged members of the
union to be careful and ride carefully especially during the ember months
stressing that the impact of accidents can be minimized if the speed was
limited.
