Lagos Assembly set to amend law on okada

Few days after Governor Babatunde Fashola reverted the fee paid by Lagos State University (LASU) students to its original N25,000, following series of protests, the Lagos State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, moved to amend the state Traffic Law, accusing the enforcement agencies, particularly the police, of poor implementation.

The assembly made this observation while debating a motion sponsored by 10 lawmakers, including Honourable Sanai Agunbiade.

While moving for a public hearing on the review exercise, the assembly urged Governor Fashola to urgently call on the state Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko, to ensure his officers and men desist from indiscriminate arrest of okada riders, particularly outside the restricted areas.

According to members, who maintained that the Traffic Law remained the best in terms of bringing sanity on the roads, curbing crime rate and reducing rate of accidents on Lagos roads, the police, they said, from personal observation and experience, had cultivated the habit of exploiting the okada riders through indiscriminate arrests.

Members of the assembly noted that the response to the law had been negative, due to poor enforcement.

Meanwhile, Governor Fashola has requested for the re-ordering of the 2014 Budget of the state to meet with demands for more public services.

The governor’s request was contained in a letter, entitled: “Y2014 Budget Re-Ordering of Priorities,” addressed  to the speaker, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji.

According to Fashola, the re-ordering was to take care of emerging issues like the reversal of LASU school fees policy, Ebola virus epidemic, among others.