Seun Kuti, a Nigerian singer, has weighed in on the controversies trailing the ban placed on commercial motorcycles in Lagos, saying that okada riding is no job.
The Lagos state government had banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles in 15 local councils, causing a hike in the rates charged by taxi and bus drivers in the state.
In the wake of the proscription, Nigerians living in the commercial city had taken to social media to decry the difficulty they faced getting to their places of work.
Joining the fray of celebrities who have bared their opinions on the issue, Kuti unexpectedly accused Nigerians who are faulting the state government’s ban of not caring about the riders.
Charging Nigerians to raise their hands if they wished to take up the jobs of commercial riders, Kuti added that many are only pacifying these riders as the country has failed them with “slave wages.”
“Nigerian professionals have shown their true colors again as oppressors in waiting. Children dying in hospital every day. Miseducated and undereducated children, they don’t care,” the singer wrote.
“Police brutality? no outrage. But tell them to walk from the bus stop to the office. ‘Oh no, the worst has happened!’ If u wish for your children to be okada and keke riders please raise up your hand!
“We know these ain’t jobs. We pacify those we have failed with slave labor and slave wages and we are ready to fight for them to continue slaving away!
“Many of you don’t care about the man. You care about the okada he’s using to carry you around. That’s not caring!”
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Some Nigerian movie stars like Jim Iyke, Chinedu Ikedieze, Ben Touitou had earlier given their different takes on the recent okada ban in Lagos.
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I fail to see the sense in these words. The fact that keke driver is a low paying job doesn’t mean it has no value. Also the fact that one is driving keke today doesn’t mean you can’t be something tomorrow. I know ppl who used this to support themselves thru skol.
I belief the band was not a bad decision, but government should have provided an alternative which could have curb this stress and complaints in the state.