January 2, 2009
Despite all attempts by the government's propaganda agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to rationalize the absurd policy of helmet usages for all motorcyclists, starting from January 1, 2009, the policy is bound to hit a brick wall in the least but serious social crisis if unopposed. Already, according to newspapers' reports, the FRSC, in collusion with other law enforcement agencies, have started arresting innocent motorcyclists.
Despite all attempts by the government's propaganda agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to rationalize the absurd policy of helmet usages for all motorcyclists, starting from January 1, 2009, the policy is bound to hit a brick wall in the least but serious social crisis if unopposed. Already, according to newspapers' reports, the FRSC, in collusion with other law enforcement agencies, have started arresting innocent motorcyclists.
In Abuja, over 200 motorcyclists have been arrested while 50 have also been arrested in Osogbo, Osun State. The FRSC in Osogbo demanded N2000 as fine from these poor Nigerians, but where is the money going to? In a funny but mocking reply some of the poor motorcyclists in Katsina are already improvising Calabash for helmet. According to Leadership newspaper of Saturday, 3rd January, 2009, this was reported: "A calabash wearing motorcyclist, who simply identified himself as Malam Tahir, argued that the calabash was more comfortable and cheaper for him than the conventional helmet sold at cut throat prices. "I bought this motor-cycle on credit, so how do you expect me to pay my weekly return and purchase a helmet at N5, 000.00." He therefore, appealed to the government to provide the helmets at subsidized prices". He said, it would be recalled that last weekend, motorcyclists in Katsina staged a protest against the use of helmet." Also, motorcyclists in Gombe city have protested against this policy.
From this reality, a seed of social tension is already seen germinating, unless the Okada associations, in conjunction with the civil society and labour build a viable opposition to this obnoxious policy and on the other hand provide a viable alternative linked with the overall development of the country. We should not wait until another Jos crisis occurs or when poor people are turned to armed robbers before we halt this lunacy in governance.
The argument that usage of helmet will reduce accident rates and impact is in the least preposterous and unscientific. What actually causes accident is the poor transport infrastructure and lack of organized transport system. The rise of motorcycle transport system in the first instance is the failure of government at all levels to ensure adequate motor-able roads in the country making many vehicles to avoid local roads and even major roads and highways. Therefore, a responsible government is expected to resolve the disturbing rate of road accidents caused by the chaotic and archaic transport system by embarking on a national plan for massive transport infrastructural development that will be set through a national summit of the genuinely affected people – commercial transport associations including the commercial motorcycle riders' association, trade unions, civil society, professional groups and individuals and general public. The national plan will mean massive government investment in road rehabilitation and construction (up to the rural level), integration of developed and environmentally-friendly transport systems (water, rail, road and air). Furthermore, with a massive public work programme vis-à-vis massive building and equipping of schools (and provision of free and quality education at all levels); adequate and well-equipped free health system; cheap public housing; potable water system; integrated and environmentally-friendly energy system (hydro, solar, wind, tidal and nuclear); poor-peasant-based, mechanized and environmentally-friendly agricultural system; etc, which will provide work for millions of young and older people who are forced to undertake many life-risking jobs like motorbike business, it will be easier to reduce accidents and also make lives better for the poor. Even a government funded integrated transport system can employ thousands of unemployed including poor income motorcyclists.
Rather than do this, the federal government and FRSC – in collusion with elitist and pro-ruling class media and state governments who have kept mum over this issue – are only interested in justifying and rationalizing their irresponsibility with this ill-conceived, ill-motivated and definitely ill-fated policy. The immediate result of this policy will be extortion of poor motorcyclists (both commercial and private), who either earn their living or subsidize their abysmal living standard with their motorbikes. Furthermore, this will lead to denial of tens of thousand of youth and family breadwinners, who are pushed to the commercial motorcycle business in the first place by poverty and unemployment (for which governments are culpable) means of livelihood. The health implication of this policy is another terrible consequence for motorcyclists and passengers. It is worthy of asking that where was the government when motorcycles without safety measure were brought to the country? Where does the government/FRSC expect the motorcyclists to get the elusive helmet (forget the television propaganda): are they expecting them to go to the black markets to get the helmets, the same way they get food, electricity, fuel, education, etc? Or is the government providing free helmets for millions of poor Nigerians who patronize motorcycle daily? These are pertinent questions a sensible government must answer.
It is high time the commercial motorcyclists' associations started mobilizing their members nationally against this abnormal policy through public actions. They must reach out to the market men and women, students' movement, etc, while labour movement must also work with them and other oppressed people to demand a public transport system and massive public work that will provide jobs for teeming millions and not make criminals out of poor and hapless Nigerians. This is the only way to mitigate social unrest and tension this nefarious policy will lead to in the coming period as many poor motorcyclists will be forced to resist the policy aftermath. Nigerian has enormous resources to provide for the basic need of everybody only if the rotten neo-liberal, capitalist system that prioritizes the profit and comfort of a rich one-percent few at the expense of the teeming working poor is thrown overboard. The leadership of labour movement itself must shed the toga of self-inflicted lethargy by demanding democratic and judicious usage of over $60 billion Nigeria's foreign reserve which is currently at the service of the parasitic foreign capitalist financial sharks – and other resources – for the massive development of the country through public work and state-run industrialization. They must also build a pan-Nigerian socialist-oriented mass working people's political alternative to the rot called neo-colonial governance in Nigeria.
Kola Ibrahim (08059399178)
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife
In Abuja, over 200 motorcyclists have been arrested while 50 have also been arrested in Osogbo, Osun State. The FRSC in Osogbo demanded N2000 as fine from these poor Nigerians, but where is the money going to? In a funny but mocking reply some of the poor motorcyclists in Katsina are already improvising Calabash for helmet. According to Leadership newspaper of Saturday, 3rd January, 2009, this was reported: "A calabash wearing motorcyclist, who simply identified himself as Malam Tahir, argued that the calabash was more comfortable and cheaper for him than the conventional helmet sold at cut throat prices. "I bought this motor-cycle on credit, so how do you expect me to pay my weekly return and purchase a helmet at N5, 000.00." He therefore, appealed to the government to provide the helmets at subsidized prices". He said, it would be recalled that last weekend, motorcyclists in Katsina staged a protest against the use of helmet." Also, motorcyclists in Gombe city have protested against this policy.
From this reality, a seed of social tension is already seen germinating, unless the Okada associations, in conjunction with the civil society and labour build a viable opposition to this obnoxious policy and on the other hand provide a viable alternative linked with the overall development of the country. We should not wait until another Jos crisis occurs or when poor people are turned to armed robbers before we halt this lunacy in governance.
The argument that usage of helmet will reduce accident rates and impact is in the least preposterous and unscientific. What actually causes accident is the poor transport infrastructure and lack of organized transport system. The rise of motorcycle transport system in the first instance is the failure of government at all levels to ensure adequate motor-able roads in the country making many vehicles to avoid local roads and even major roads and highways. Therefore, a responsible government is expected to resolve the disturbing rate of road accidents caused by the chaotic and archaic transport system by embarking on a national plan for massive transport infrastructural development that will be set through a national summit of the genuinely affected people – commercial transport associations including the commercial motorcycle riders' association, trade unions, civil society, professional groups and individuals and general public. The national plan will mean massive government investment in road rehabilitation and construction (up to the rural level), integration of developed and environmentally-friendly transport systems (water, rail, road and air). Furthermore, with a massive public work programme vis-à-vis massive building and equipping of schools (and provision of free and quality education at all levels); adequate and well-equipped free health system; cheap public housing; potable water system; integrated and environmentally-friendly energy system (hydro, solar, wind, tidal and nuclear); poor-peasant-based, mechanized and environmentally-friendly agricultural system; etc, which will provide work for millions of young and older people who are forced to undertake many life-risking jobs like motorbike business, it will be easier to reduce accidents and also make lives better for the poor. Even a government funded integrated transport system can employ thousands of unemployed including poor income motorcyclists.
Rather than do this, the federal government and FRSC – in collusion with elitist and pro-ruling class media and state governments who have kept mum over this issue – are only interested in justifying and rationalizing their irresponsibility with this ill-conceived, ill-motivated and definitely ill-fated policy. The immediate result of this policy will be extortion of poor motorcyclists (both commercial and private), who either earn their living or subsidize their abysmal living standard with their motorbikes. Furthermore, this will lead to denial of tens of thousand of youth and family breadwinners, who are pushed to the commercial motorcycle business in the first place by poverty and unemployment (for which governments are culpable) means of livelihood. The health implication of this policy is another terrible consequence for motorcyclists and passengers. It is worthy of asking that where was the government when motorcycles without safety measure were brought to the country? Where does the government/FRSC expect the motorcyclists to get the elusive helmet (forget the television propaganda): are they expecting them to go to the black markets to get the helmets, the same way they get food, electricity, fuel, education, etc? Or is the government providing free helmets for millions of poor Nigerians who patronize motorcycle daily? These are pertinent questions a sensible government must answer.
It is high time the commercial motorcyclists' associations started mobilizing their members nationally against this abnormal policy through public actions. They must reach out to the market men and women, students' movement, etc, while labour movement must also work with them and other oppressed people to demand a public transport system and massive public work that will provide jobs for teeming millions and not make criminals out of poor and hapless Nigerians. This is the only way to mitigate social unrest and tension this nefarious policy will lead to in the coming period as many poor motorcyclists will be forced to resist the policy aftermath. Nigerian has enormous resources to provide for the basic need of everybody only if the rotten neo-liberal, capitalist system that prioritizes the profit and comfort of a rich one-percent few at the expense of the teeming working poor is thrown overboard. The leadership of labour movement itself must shed the toga of self-inflicted lethargy by demanding democratic and judicious usage of over $60 billion Nigeria's foreign reserve which is currently at the service of the parasitic foreign capitalist financial sharks – and other resources – for the massive development of the country through public work and state-run industrialization. They must also build a pan-Nigerian socialist-oriented mass working people's political alternative to the rot called neo-colonial governance in Nigeria.
Kola Ibrahim (08059399178)
Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife
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