Lagos Government Awards N19Million Contract For Procurement Of Uniforms, ID Cards For 666 Anti-Okada Squad Personnel
Lagos Government Awards N19Million Contract For Procurement Of Uniforms, ID Cards For 666 Anti-Okada Squad Personnel
Okada is the colloquial name for commercial motorbikes in Nigeria.
The Lagos Government under Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved a sum of N19,314,000.00 for the procurement of uniforms, kits and Identity cards for the 666 anti-okada squad in the state.
Okada is the colloquial name for commercial motorbikes in Nigeria.
This was seen in a document detailing all contracts awarded by the Lagos State Government in October 2023 which was obtained by SaharaReporters from the state e-procurement portal.
According to the document, the N19 million project was awarded by the state ministry of transport to OBS Logistics and Trading on the 26th of September 2023.
This project was due to the ‘indefinite and total’ ban on the operations of Okada in six local government areas of the state, namely Ikeja, Surulere, Eti Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa in May 2022.
The state government had several times announced a ban on this means of transportation without success.
The government on these occasions attributed the ban on Okada to the increasing rate of criminality which is perpetrated through the use of motorcycles. However, this has been met with stiff resistance by motorcyclists who complained that their source of livelihood would be adversely affected.
Also, some sections of the population lament the stress they endure due to such bans amid the inadequate means of public transportation in Lagos, thereby contributing to the failure of the ban.
The Lagos State Traffic Law 2012 prohibits the operations of Okada and tricycles, also known as Keke Marwa, from operating in certain routes and areas across the state.
The procurement document revealed further that the government also awarded N94,034,991 for the construction of drain to deflood Adebisi Street off Musiliu Amith Street, Panti, Yaba LCDA (upward review) and N5billion was also awarded by Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency for the upgrading/ rehabilitation of one road each in Ikorodu and Ibeju-Lekki local government areas under slum intervention works
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SaharaReporters
