Okada Ban: Lagos Govt., Courier Operators ‘War’

The Lagos state government came under the hammer of courier operators, and supported by the federal government regulatory agency, the Courier Regulatory Department (CRD) of the Nigerian Postal Service (Nipost) on aspects of the states’ traffic law which require them to purchase motorbikes with minimum 200cc engine capacity.

Speaking under the aegis of Association of Nigeria Courier Operators (ANCO) umbrella body of courier operators in Nigeria at the ‘Inter-Agency Relations in Courier Operations workshop’ demanded that Governor Raji Fashola, of Lagos state re-tune the ‘State traffic Law 2012.’

Governor Fashola, a legal practitioner of the inner bar (senior advocate of Nigeria) has received severe knocks from several quarters for the traffic law from which bars commercial motor cycle operation in the state.

Aspects of the law of also bar corporate operators like courier firms and dispatch riders from plying within the metropolis, unless they are type approved motorbikes with minimum of 200cc engine capacity.

Dr. Simon Emeje, assistant post master general, head of CRD said the law contravenes provisions of standing Universal Postal Union (UPU) treaties that made generous provisions for commercial motorcyclists popularly called okada for distribution. The UPU is an organ of the United Nations which Nigeria is signatory to its conventions.

Consequently, Emeje stated that provisions of the new Lagos Traffic Law, especially one which restricted commercial motorcyclists to some designated roads is clear violation of the UPU treaty.

But defending the Lagos state government on the traffic law, Prince Bisi Yusuf, chairman of the Lagos state House of Assembly Committee on Transport, Commerce and Industry (who represented the House Speaker, Hon. deyemi Sabit Ikuforiji), at the workshop it was expedient on the state to enact the law both as a security deterrent and achieving the envisioned ‘Lagos Mega City dream’.

He noted that since the law came into force, reports available show that road crashes related to commercial motorcycle operators have reduced by 75per cent, adding that the courier firms should learn to live by the law and not kick against it.   

“Before the promulgation of the law the State House of Assembly, the rate of motorbike crashes was uncontrollable, but since the law came into force, the crashes have reduced to about 75per cent. That is a big achievement for a law that is under test-run and not up to a year.

“No responsible government will allow its citizen to be maimed in the manner commercial motorcycle operators were doing. Lagos did not even ban ‘Okada’ like we saw outright ban being implemented in Kaduna, Kano and other major urban centres across the country. It is not political, but for security reasons.

The Speaker added that when security is achieved, courier operators can do their businesses with ease and with no apprehension. “It is only when you are alive that you can conduct your business. The State will not count anybody as a sacred cow when he violates the laws, especially by plying the restricted routes,” he noted.

But Dr. Emeje asserted that the international treaties of the UN’s agency to which Nigeria is a signatory, encourages nations and governments to deliver items to any point as the postal sector’s obligation is to reach every citizen.

Nigeria on July 10, 1961 became a member of the UPU, a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system.

Emeje said operators should not only be allowed to carry out their duties to any point in the State, but deserve the right to use any motorcycle of their choice.

“The postal obligation is that they want to reach every citizen. And in doing that, there should be no restriction of vehicles or motorcycles that will be used to reach to the people either on water or on the dry ground.

“Therefore, we have made a case to Lagos State Government that this is inside the Conventions and International Treaties or a global disposition that should be respected. Nigeria or Lagos State should not be an exemption. Courier operators should be allowed to dispatch the parcels they have been assigned to do, even to any part of State”.

He further argued that restriction of the operators to use motorcycles with engine capacity of 200 Cc was not acceptable because it will signal the death of some courier firms, especially the indigenous players.

Critically, Erneje demanded that “a concession for the operators should be granted, in the sense that as far as courier business is concerned worldwide, there is no such restriction. However, we appreciate that for security reasons Lagos State Government had to institute the restriction, but we are saying that they should consider an organisation or industry that is focused delivering goods or parcels to every point in the whole State and the country at large.”

Concurring, Toyin Olufade, president of ANCO said Lagos should adhere to global best practices as it is a state within the federation of Nigeria.

“Whatever modality that will grant concession to courier operators that will make them deliver freely is highly needed presently. The essence of courier is door-to-door service delivery. So, if the equipment is denied them it will defeat the purpose of the service,” said Olufade.

He added that the law impacts adversely on the operators. “The restrict impacts on delivery and subsequently on their income. Apart from that it affects employment disposition of the organisations. And when the employment disposition is adversely affected the economy is affected as a whole.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek checks in the state show that the 200cc engine capacity motorcycles sell for between N250, 000 to N350, 000.

Meanwhile, it would take new courier firms minimum of five bikes to cover Lagos, whereas there are about 281 of them registered with CRD. Thus the industry players may be in dire need of over N3.7 million to retool.