Okada Ban: Lagos (advises) schools on security
As
the enforcement of ban on commercial motorcycles across six local government
areas of the state commences on Wednesday (today), the Lagos State Government
has advised schools below tertiary level to be security conscious.
In
a statement on Tuesday, the director-general of the Lagos State Office of
Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) at the state’s ministry of education, AbiolaSeriki-Ayeni, said the schools should “ensure compliance with the Safeguarding
and Child Protection Policy of the state as prescribed.”
“In
furtherance with the State Government’s Emergency Guidance for Public and
Private Schools, schools should be proactive by preparing to address various
safety and child protection issues that may arise,” the statement reads in
part.
She
reiterated that the Lagos State Police have assured the public that all
necessary human, material and operational resources have been deployed across
the state to forestall any breakdown of law and order.
The
director-general also advised school authorities, parents and guardians to
contact appropriate emergency services and also lodge complaints on the
agency’s website should the need arise for such.
The Okada ban
In
May, Mr Sanwo-Olu imposed a fresh ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly
known as ‘okada’ from operating in six local government areas: Eti-Osa, Ikeja,
Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Apapa, and Surulere.
Following
the ban, the police in Lagos deployed officers to different parts of the state
to prevent the breakdown of law and order due to a viral Whatsapp message of a
planned protest by the riders.
The
Lagos State Task Force also seized more than 200 motorcycles in Lekki before
the deadline.
The
latest ban comes more than two years after the government enforced a ban on the
operation of motorcycles and tricycles across the state.
The
government had explained that the relaxation of the law was not unconnected
with the impact of the corona virus-induced lockdown on global economies and
how many Nigerian families have since continued to struggle to survive even
after the lockdown was lifted.
The
governor, however, said commercial motorcycle operators have since constituted
a menace in the state, even as he cited security reports to back the position.
