More Nigerians have been calling on the Federal Government to jettison its proposed ban of commercial motorcycles popularly called okada and mining activities in the country.
Speaking in Awka, a Lagos based Minister of God Reverend Peter Ezenwaji said while he supports the need to secure the country for the good of all Nigerians, he however, disagree with the proposed procedure which he said will not serve the intended purpose.
Paul Ezeoke reports that Reverend Ezenwaji said the proposal is not people oriented as it affects sectors that are important economic activities which are prime to the stability of the country and necessary for national security, noting that Motorcycle generates employment for millions of Nigerians through the value chain, stressing that implementing the proposal will throw many families into poverty.
He noted that with the present poor road infrastructure crisscrossing the country, banning motorcycles will increase the level of hardship and frustration in the country and urged the Federal government to provide better alternatives before considering such a proposal.
Reverend Ezenwaji urged Nigerians to take ownership of the country by protecting their permanent voters cards and using them to enthrone people oriented leadership that would change the narrative in the country
Also speaking, the Anambra State Chairman of Miners Association of Nigeria Chief Henry Igboeli cautioned that the proposed banning of mining activities would inflict serious harm on Nigeria’s economy and further aggravate the present hardship across the country.
Chief Igboeli pointed out that the Nigerian mining industry employs several people in both formal and informal economy while the entire mining value chain has over the years engaged hundreds of thousands of Nigerians gainful thereby reducing the burden of unemployment and any attempt to disrupt activities in the sub sector would increase level of unemployment and throw more people into poverty.
Chief Igboeli warned that banning mining activities would also increase the challenge of insecurity as more people will no longer have a source of livelihood while investment in the national economy would be drastically reduced, urging the federal government to provide the right environment for the sector to thrive.
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