By BOSE ADELAJA

PEOPLE call it different names: Igbos call it Ina aga, those in the Northern parts of Nigeria call it Achaba. In Kafanchan, Kaduna State, people call it “Going”, while in the neighbouring Benin Republic and its environs, people call it Keke and in the South/West parts of Nigeria, the name is Okada. All these acronyms put together, boils down to motorcycle.

For some time now, activities of motorcycle operators in Lagos metropolis have come under the searchlight of the state government owing to flagrant disobedience of traffic rules by some of them. The state has recorded a lot of criminal offences through the use of motorbikes. To curtail such activities, the State government on July 1, 2010, announced a restriction order on the operators which was reviewed in 2012.

Commercial motorcycle riders

On their own part, commercial motorcycle riders under the aegis of Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria, MTUN; National Association of Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association, NATOMORA; and All Nigerian Autobikes Commercial Owners and Workers Association, ANACOWA; came together to employ the services of a Lagos based activist and legal practitioner, Bamidele Aturu, and sued the state government over the issue.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Stephen Adah of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikeja on Friday May 4, 2012, in favour of the Okada riders and since then, many of them have been operating fully in Lagos metropolis including the Government Reserved Areas where their services were earlier restricted.

Mega City spotlight went to town  to seek Lagosians’ opinion on why many of them prefer this means of  transportation in spite of the mishaps associated with it and many of them adduced various reasons for this.

Patrons of okada: Engineer Wale Odutola who works in Victoria Island and resides in Shomolu said he prefers to ride on Okada because of the persistent gridlock on Lagos roads. He said: “Before now, I usually leave home by 5am to resume work at 8am.

Imagine spending three hours on the road on daily basis! This is tasking and makes one grow old quickly. I adopted the Okada method about two years ago and I get to work under a period of thirty minutes.”

Mr. Paul Aladipupo a car owner, who resides in Ikotun area of Lagos and works at Apapa wharf attributed his decision to the fact that most roads are in a deplorable condition which often causes persistent gridlock. He said: “I know it is risky riding on Okada but it is better than losing my job as my boss has threatened to sack me if I continue coming late to work.”

A marketer, Mrs Gloria Okafor said her business entails distribution of some items in various places. She said: “Commercial buses do not take you to your door step but Okada does. I have a lot of goods which I distribute to consumers on daily basis and staying inside the gridlock is a way of losing my customers.”