Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Chairman of the Riders and Owners of Motorcycles Organisation, ROMO, in Ogun State, Sotayo Rasak, popularly known as Sholebo, has condemned the decision of the Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, to suspend commercial motorcycle operations in the council area following protests against the introduction of a new revenue ticket.
Rasak also called on the State Government to urgently intervene in what he described as an “unlawful and exploitative revenue scheme” through the introduction of a “Riders Insurance Ticket” by the local government.
DAILY POST reports that the suspension of all commercial activities of commercial motorcycle operators’ unions was announced by the local government chairman, Oyegbola-Sodipo, in a statement by his Chief of Staff, Oluwakayode Ajibola.
Reacting to this, ROMO, in a statement signed by its secretary, Sholola Olamilekan, on Tuesday, said the suspension was an unfair punishment for hardworking riders who are already burdened by the current economic hardship.
The statement reads, “The decision to suspend commercial motorcycle operations because riders resisted an unjust ticket is unacceptable. Our members are already paying the official Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS) tickets through ROMO and other transport unions. Introducing an additional N300 daily levy under the so-called ‘Abeokuta Riders Insurance Project’ amounts to double taxation.
“We are appealing to the Commissioner for Transportation and His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun, to urgently wade into this matter. If nothing is done, the situation could degenerate into a breakdown of law and order, which we do not want.”
Responding, the Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, noted that the newly introduced daily health insurance scheme is a life-saving initiative aimed at protecting the vulnerable in the informal sector.
Oyegbola-Sodipo, who spoke at a joint press conference alongside his Abeokuta South counterpart, Afeez Balogun, held at the NUJ Secretariat, Abeokuta, added that it was also designed to tackle the safety and welfare challenges facing operators and commuters.
He explained that the informal health insurance programme, in existence for over two years, had already benefited more than 2,000 elderly and indigent residents in Abeokuta North and South, providing them with a full year’s cover at no cost.
“We saw health insurance as a good means to at least establish a profiling system to know exactly who is riding an Okada. On top of that, we decided to bring more value to these informal sector operators. In the event of an accident, both the rider and the passenger will now be covered.”
Oyegbola-Sodipo dismissed allegations of exploitation, emphasising that the scheme allowed riders to pay daily and still enjoy full one-year cover, even if they had only contributed for a single day before an accident.
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