Ondo govt to ban pregnant women, children from Okada

By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—WORRIED by the rate of death caused by commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada, the Ondo State government may ban them from transporting pregnant mothers and under-aged children in the State.

Governor Olusegun Mimiko said the state government had been working hard on a memorandum sent to the State Executive Council by the International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Ondo State branch to translate it into a law.

With this it may soon become a punishable offence for commercial motorcycle riders to transporting pregnant mothers and under-aged children in the state.

Speaking through his Chief of Staff, Dr Kola Ademujimi at this year’s edition of the FIDA week in Akure, Mimiko linked the action to the resolve of the government to drastically reduce untimely death or maiming of these two vulnerable groups.

On the impact of the present administration’s programmes on women and children, Dr Mimiko said “I am happy that we are gender sensitive in many of our considerations and that our projects and programmes are geared towards women and children mainly.

“You are also aware of the Quality Education Assurance Agency and the war against examination malpractices where we are saying that our teachers must work very hard to enable their students succeed in all external examinations unaided.

The governor also advised the womenfolk to play active roles in ensuring that the votes of the electorate count in the coming elections.

According to him this “is a major means to guarantee the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria .We employ you to fully participate in the forth coming voters registration exercise and also join the campaign against electoral fraud and be an apostle of one man one vote and free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in Nigeria.