The North East Youth Transformation Forum (NEYTF), has warned the federal government against banning the use of motorcycles (Okada) as a means of transportation, saying it will render 98 million youths jobless.
The pressure group, in a statement in Gombe, said bulk of youths across the country depend on the use of motorcycles to keep their body and soul together in the biting economic hardship across the country.
Last week, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami disclosed that the Federal Government is considering placing ban on Okada as part of measures to tackle security challenges.
However President of the group, Comrade Abdulrazak Albani, faulted the decision saying it will subject about 98 million Nigerians to hardship.
According to him, of the 200 million people in the country, about 98 million, close to the half of the population suffer from abject poverty and do not have means of transportation of their own pointing out that the Okada ban will further make them vulnerable and miserable.
He said that aside making transportation difficult for the poor citizens, the decision will render the commercial motorcyclists jobless and concomitantly increase the rate of crimes in the society.
“The population of the country hit over 200 million now and statistics by the UNDP reveals that people living below the poverty line in the nation are 98 million, almost half of the population. These people cannot afford three square meals daily let alone possessing transportation vehicles.
“So the ban on motorcycles operation will compound their problems and make many people jobless.
“We therefore call on our senators, house of representatives members, governors, traditional and religious leaders to prevail on the federal government to jettison this decision,” he argued.