*says 5000 so far captured
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Administration and General Services, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe on Monday, hinted that the state government has commenced registration of motorcycle riders in the state.
Rev Ogedengbe dropped this hint in Ibadan while featuring on the Oyo NUJ Correspondents Chapel monthly “Guest Forum” held at the chapel’s Secretariat, Ago Tapa.
He disclosed that the registration of Okada riders across the state is part of the measures put in place by the government at curbing insecurity and criminality in Oyo state.
According to Rev Ogedengbe, going by the present level of insecurity in the country, there is the need to guard against influx of Okada riders believed to be coming from neighboring countries, thereby threatening security of the state.
The Executive Assistant to Gov Makinde on Administration and General Services, pointed out that security of lives and prosperity of the people of Oyo State remains one of the priorities of the Engr Seyi Makinde-led administration in the state.
Rev Ogedengbe stressed that for now, over 5,000 motorcycle operators has been captured so far in the registration while many would still registered as the exercise is on going
“Okada business is a means of livelihood for some people in the state, it will affect them if their operations is stopped outrightly. Any Okada rider who want to operate in the state should register, anybody who failed to do so shall be sanctioned”, he said
Speaking further, Rev Ogedengbe said one of the major problems facing the present administration in Oyo State, “is lack of funds” arising from the effect of COVID-19 19 pandemic and short fall in price of crude oil on the two major sources of revenue for the state government (federal government allocation and internationally generated revenue) was enormous.
The Executive Assistant noted that
the state government has not been able to get much from the federal government purse and this has affected some activities of the state government, saying, the state government wish to deliver good government, good project but funding has been a constrain towards the effect.
“Growth has not been rapid as we expected because people has not been making use of government investment.We are trying to remove all hindrances in our investments, funding is a problem but we thank people who has been coming to invest in the state.”
