IN what appears to be a swift reaction to Saturday's attack on the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, the Kano State government has banned commercial motorcyclists from operating in the state. Carrying any form of passenger on the motorcycles popularly known as Achaba has been banned by the state government. The ban takes effect from Thursday.
Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, disclosed this in a special radio and television broadcast yesterday. It follows a security report, which indicated that a greater percentage of attacks in the state were coordinated and perpetrated by motorcyclists.
"The action became imperative so as to ensure that all commercial activities of motorcyclists in the state were registered in their local councils as part of government's measures to ensure security in the state," Ganduje said.
He recounted that the attack on the emir shook the state and called on all well-meaning people to continue to pray for peaceful atmosphere in the state in particular, and the nation in general.
For a long time, even before the security challenges facing the state today, many people had been calling on the government to ban commercial motorcyclists.
Reacting, the National President of Amalgamated Commercial Owners/Riders' Association of Nigeria, Muhammad Sani Hassan, described the ban as "unpleasant and highly devastating."
He bemoaned that his members, numbering about 1.5 million, would be rendered jobless. Their fear, according to him, is what the people would do for a living now.
Hassan reminded the government of a pledge it made in the last six months that it would render assistance to the association, providing it with 200 cabs for its members. He complained that the government only released 20 cars to them since that time. He, therefore, urged the government to come to their rescue this time around.
