House Steps down Motion to Halt  Proposed Nationwide Ban on Commercial Motorcycles

Udora Orizu in Abuja 

The House of Representatives at plenary Tuesday stepped down a motion urging the federal government to halt the proposed nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles and ensure that adequate palliative measures are put in place before such decisions are implemented.

The motion sponsored by Hon. Abubakar Makki Yallemen (APC, Jigawa), also prayed that the federal government should restrict the proposed ban to the local government areas where the mining activities or banditry/terrorist activities take place.

Yalleman had, while moving his motion, noted that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary focus of government as clearly provided in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

He said the House is aware that the proposed ban on motorcycles is aimed at cutting the supply of logistics to the terrorists in the country.

The lawmaker expressed concerns that the activities of bandits and kidnappings across the country have subjected members of victims’ families to serious psychological trauma even as they are forced to part with their hard-earned money.

He opined that while banning commercial motorcycle operations across the country as a means of curtailing security challenges, the welfare and wellbeing of the citizenry should be considered foremost, as the federal government has not offered palliative measures to cushion the expected effects of the ban.

While worrying that the proposed ban would render millions of Nigerians jobless, Yalleman said that putting a sizeable number of the population out of work will only aggravate the security challenges in the country.

Shortly after moving the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase, who presided over the plenary session, urged him to step down the motion, as the parliament is obligated to support the federal government in its efforts to curb the worsening insecurity in the country.

Wase said: “We should cooperate with the government, though we appreciate what our brother has brought and we appeal to the government that as they implement this policy, it should look at those areas that are not vulnerable and do not have the potency of having any such insurgency in their community. 

“In line with our principle to help curb the incessant insecurity in our country, we have to cooperate with government. You can’t imagine what’s going on today in Abuja. I went through DSS report, 44 report were given before the attack of Kuje prison. And it all has to do with this. There’s no community where attack will happen that you don’t have an intel. So we have to cooperate with government.”