Delta vows to enforce Okada, scrap metal ban in restricted areas

Delta State Government, DTSG, Thursday, said it will enforce to the fullest, the ban on commercial motorcycles and scrap metal scavenging popularly known as ‘iron condemn’ in restricted areas across the state.

Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu who disclosed this in an interview with journalists shortly after a meeting with critical stakeholders in the state, said there is zero tolerance for okada riders in restricted areas and scrap metal scavengers across the state.

He said the stakeholders meeting attended by all security agencies comprising the military, police, NSCDC and the DSS as well as the Sariki of Asaba, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Gero, was to further drive the message on the ban of Okada in some designated areas to Deltans and residents of the state.

According to him, commercial motorcycles remained banned in the capital territory, adding that commercial motorcycles in most areas of Oshimili South and Oshimili North Local Government Areas have significantly been banned.

He pointed out that the state government had listed all the streets where they (commercial motorcyclist) should not ply, noting that they have become a source of concern to Deltans and residents not only in the capital territory but across the entire length and breadth of the state, even as he said that they have been given up to May 31 to comply.

Dr. Emu said the essence of the meeting was to strategize for effective operations, implementation and enforcement of the ban on commercial motorcycles in restricted areas as well as to properly brief and hand over the Gazette to critical stakeholders to be abreast and educate their people.

While saying that Nigerians are allowed to live anywhere they like so long as they are of good behaviour, he disclosed that the ban was not a witch hunt for any ethnic group in the country, stressing that Nigerians must subject themselves to the rules and regulations of the area where they live.

“During the meeting, we were made to understand that there are three types of northerners who ply and operate in Delta State and they include those who lived here and who have always lived with us here and have their children and their businesses here and are known to us;

“Those who heve been dislodged from other states and from a lot of crisis in the North who have come here and the third part is the very violent people from Niger Republic who are not even documented and they go ahead and do some terrible things that are ascribed to our brothers,” he added.

On scrap metal scavengers, Dr. Emu said; “we also, announced at the session, some forms of registration process for the iron scavengers (the iron condemn people) that have also remained banned. Their activities are banned until we regularise the procedures for registration.

“We have also set up a sub-committee today headed by the Attorney General’s Office that will put together, a registration document that will act as a template for the entire state and until then, no iota of activities for iron condemn.

“So, we shall by next week after we receive the document, make some further proclamations on how we need to proceed. We want to institutionalise the process of enforcement.

“Be rest assured that our people will go to bed with their eyes closed; be rest assured that this exercise will work; it is not a witch hunt for any ethnic group but we shall make sure that we enforce this one; it must be enforced”.

In their separate remarks at the meeting, the Sariki of Asaba, Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Gero; a Special Assistant to the governor, Alhaji Muktar Usman and the Chairman of Delta State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Auwalu Turkur, said they would continue to support the policies and programmes of the state government.