Amaechi opposes plan to ban commercial motorcycles, tricycles, says FG to float soft loan scheme for operators

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said that motorcycles and tricycles should not be banned nationwide because doing so would affect the nation’s economy negatively.
Amaechi said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the celebration of the national day of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN).
The minister advised state governments not to ban commercial cyclists but train them to reduce their recklessness on the road and ensure strict compliance with rules and regulations.
“I don’t think we should ban Okada because if we do, it will affect the economy; they only need to be trained to obey rules and regulations.
“The issue of security, safety and regulation should be dealt with at the state level; state governments should train Okada riders,’’ Amaechi said.
He urged the operators avoid recklessness and obey traffic rules and regulations in order to reduce the rate of accidents.
According to him, commercial cyclists play vital roles in the transportation sector, especially in transporting agricultural produce where roads are not easily accessible.
“We know you play a vital role in the economy: Not all buses, taxis can access our roads for agricultural purposes; a lot of Nigerians depend on you because your services are cheap.
“The economy cannot only grow through white collar jobs; everybody doesn’t need to depend on government and what you have done is to be self-employed to feed yourselves,’’ the minister said.
Shehu Babangida, National President of ACOMORAN, said that the day was an annual event designed to celebrate the informal sector in Nigeria.
He said the association’s 12 million membership had massively reduced the rate of unemployment and criminality in the country by engaging vulnerable youths.
The ACOMORAN president thanked the minister and former Zamfara governor, Senator Sani Yerima, as well as other dignitaries, for gracing the occasion.
Amaechi also said that the government would give soft loans to ACOMORAN members to enhance their businesses.
He said that government would discuss with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other commercial banks on how they can have access to soft loans to further empower them in the business.
The minister, however, said that the plan would be included in the 2018 budget to boost youth gainful employment.
“We need to talk with the government; we need to talk with CBN or banks to provide what we call soft loans which should be affordable.
“When you get soft loan, you should pass the message to the users, If am still the Minister of Transportation by next year, I will meet with your executives.
“We will take a look at the areas that can be included in the budget which will create opportunities for more people to join you and buy more motorcycles to enable them feed themselves,’’ he said.
Senator Yerima said that he had always been a friend to the association and has so far given 50,000 motorcycles to them.
He said that the president would purchase motorcycles on soft loans basis to the members which would take them to a greater height and empower the youths.
Yerima said that the soft loan would help in creating jobs for more youths and would reduce the rate of criminal activities in the country.
In his keynote address, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa, Chairman Senate Committee on Land Transportation, said that soft loans can be approved for the association but that there are procedures to be followed.
He said that although the Minister of Transportation has properly followed the procedures, the completion of the process was time bound because of the budget.
He said that the soft loans for the association would be considered and approved by the government.
Ashafa further urged the association to come up with a bill that can be passed which would serve as an instrument to back-up and to protect them.
“You are a powerful association and the government of APC cannot afford to joke with you. Bring up a bill that we can pass and can be used as an instrument of legislature to back you up and protect you,” he said.
He further advised the association to be gender sensitive to create room for the female membership.
The National President of the Association, Malam Shehu Babangida, commended the dignitaries for honouring their invitation and for considering their request.
He said that the association can contribute significantly to the nation’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by over N100 billion if properly harnessed.
Babangida said that the association would collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for identification cards.
He also urged the National Health Insurance Scheme to extend its services to the informal sector.