Okada Riders in Trouble again as Delta State Bans Okada Business with September Ending Ultimatum

It is definitely not a good time for motorcycle transport business operators popularly known as Okada riders in the country. Less than two days after the Lagos State operators of the business dragged the government to court over unfavourable traffic laws, their Delta State counterparts have been given September ending ultimatum to stop the running of Okada business in the state.

This was made known by the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who, on Tuesday, announced the ban of commercial motorcycles otherwise known as Okada in Asaba, the state capital and other major cities, with effect from this month.

The governor was receiving the new boss of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in Delta State, Commander Ada Ajenge, who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House Asaba. Uduaghan said: “I have constituted a committee headed by the Commissioner for Transport to liaise with the various Okada unions to over-see the purchase of tricycles.

“We are hoping that by the end of this month, we may not have Okada in our major cities, especially Asaba, Warri, Effurun, among others. We are going to give them till the end of this month, by which time we do not expect to see Okada in any of these cities. We shall gradually move to the other parts of the state but in the interim, the ones that are allowed to operate in other parts of the state must go about their trade with their helmets.”