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Kano and the Menace of Achaba! By kabiru inuwa
Ever since the adoptions of IMF conditionality like the structural adjustment programs (SAP) by the Babangida Administrations, the economic fortunes of the country has continue to nosedive drastically leading to social dislocations, destitutions, abject poverty and penury among the vast majority of Nigerians.
Many industries that hitherto employed a significant portions of the populace were forced to closed down under intense pressure and severe productions limitations occasioned by uncontrolled importations of foreign goods and services; resulting in many able bodied youth daily being thrown into labour market to join the large army of jobless graduates already roaming the streets in search of non existent jobs. The recent painful and unfortunate closure of UNTL Textile Company in Kaduna State is a clear case in point!
Prior to the wholesale subjugations of Nigeria into the apron-strings of the Breton-wood’s slavish economic policies, our various infrastructures were working. Transport systems can be relied upon; Agriculture was relatively okay; many factories in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos were working at near installed capacities. But today all these are gone leading to the dwindling of our economic well beings and upsurge in Achaba Riders (Okada) all over the country roaming the streets in reckless abandon without regard to established norms and procedures.
Today according to official statistics, there are over a million registered Achaba riders in Kano alone, in addition to almost the same number of unregistered ones and the number keep increasing by the day! Kano is virtually under terrible mess with very dangerous environmental hazards, like frequent fatal accidents, global warming, Ozone-layer depletions and so on. The amount of carbon monoxides (CO) being ooze out of the exhausts of these reckless motor cyclists in my own view, is enough to generate energy to drive nuclear rectors or to even develop an atomic bomb!
The menace of Achaba tend to defied solutions, because in every nook and crannies of the state, one can only see motorcycles zooming recklessly; And the state government, Local government councils, various ministries and politicians did not help matters at all. Instead of assisting in curving the proliferations of the Achaba in the state, government in connivance with some Banks continue to dish them out to civil servants at a cut throats prices under the dubious owner occupier loan schemes, and to political thugs as a gratifications for job well done. Those who were hoodwinked are now in a very pathetic condition, because the meagre salary can not sustain their families for one week leading many of them into perpetual bondage and loan rescheduling!
As far as I’m concern, no amount of intimidations, ridicules and threat can force me and those that shared my own view to collect Jincheng, Kancheng, zonshen or whatever Chinese or Japanese appellations the motor cycles are identified with. The ministries concern should know this. I will rather continue to make do with my bicycle which is environmentally friendly, cost less in maintenance and is not threaten at all by local thieves due to its low market values!
One should go to Kano in order to appreciate the gravity of the problem at hands. The riders did not know regulations, neither did they bother about any responsibility to other road users .They often used their legs and some times heads when negotiating bends. They expect motorist and other road users to give them right of way as a matter of right. They are never at fault under any given situations and God saves a motorist who was hit from the rear! As for pedestrians and bicyclist, the fear of Achaba riders who are mostly under the influence of GADAGI (Local Energy boaster and Intoxicant) is the beginning of wisdom. For an average rider, it is better to spend one month on hospital beds than to exercise patient and wait for some few seconds at traffic junctions!
Recently, the Chairman of the Achaba riders appealed to the incumbent governor of Kano state through a private Radio, to appoint an advisor on Achaba matters! The request did not go down well with the members of the Kano state Guragu (Cripples) Associations, whose leader quickly countered the request accusing the riders for contributing significantly majority of their members. According to the Chairman, contrary to the general beliefs, majority of cripples begging around major streets in the metropolis are the result of accidents involving Achaba riders rather than Wild Polio Virus as is being speculated globally.
It is imperatives therefore, for Kano state government to stop the distributions of Motorcycles in the state forthwith and to declare a state of emergency on the Menace before it became so intractable. It is also pertinent for government to take a cue from the FCT Administrations that has successfully tackled the issue. Today Abuja is accident free at least of the frequency before El-Rufa’I sent them packing. My recent visit to the capital city greatly attested to an orderly way of life and rarefied air blowing from every directions. No wonder, infectious and air-borne diseases like tuberculosis is a rarity in the city.
Looking at the issue of the riders’ vis-à-vis their age bracket; one begins to contemplate about the positions of the North in relation to the other more advance regions of Nigeria. One begins to realise the failure of Nigerian leadership and the enormous responsibilities and opportunities that was wasted! How the North will fair in the foreseeable future in a competitive environment where every things is knowledge driven and winner takes all remain in the inner recesses of our leaders’ reasoning faculties! And Certainly if our leaders remain in their slumber and failed to arrest the ugly phenomenon of Achaba and Begging, the future progress, developments and prosperity of the region in particular and that of the whole country in general is definitely bleak-God forbid bad things.
Kabiru Inuwa Tsakuwa Hausawa Sabon Titi (Bawo Road) OPP.Zoo Road Kano.
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