The menace of Achaba operators in Kano

Despite concerns over the general behaviour of most of these motorcyclists, the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACCOMORAN) Kano State branch, has distanced itself from such actions. According to its chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Hassan, the association is making strong efforts to sanitise the business, and that a lot of people […]

Despite concerns over the general behaviour of most of these motorcyclists, the Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACCOMORAN) Kano State branch, has distanced itself from such actions. According to its chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Hassan, the association is making strong efforts to sanitise the business, and that a lot of people are involved in the profession which makes it tough for the association to handle the situation easily. He said with over a million registered operators, as well as half of that figure unregistered, the work is tough indeed.

He said the issue of unity should not be mixed up with that of taking laws into their hands and therefore urged the members, not to misperceive the concept. He said there are authorities such as the police, the state CID, SSS and CIB as well as other agencies to report to in case of any misunderstanding. He added that at their own level, they have the units, the local government offices and the state where complaints could be channeled to   the appropriate authority and that the law should not be taken into hands by the members.

However a trader, Malam Hayatu Bello, sad the idea of letting the people hide under the guise of a union or association and then pose a threat to the public should be shunned in its entirety. He said that the ‘acaba’ men use to make it their own business to deal with anyone who is in a brawl with their fellow ‘acaba man’. “I have seen instances when they gang up in support of their colleague no matter who is at fault. So it is a pathetic situation and the law enforcement agents have failed, in my own opinion to taskle such issues,” he said.

But in response to all these, the Chairman of the Committee on the Sensitization and Registration of Achaba   Riders inaugurated by the Kano State government, Dr Bala Muhammad, who is also the Director- General of the Societal Reorientation Agency (A daidaita sahu), said their report had been submitted to the government, among the highlights of which he said, they had succeeded in registering just over two hundred thousand commercial motorcyclists in the state. He said these were those who wished to be guided by the regulations of the state government.

He said unfortunately for the nation, according to their findings, there was no national policy on “acaba” or “okada” and that states are doing what they could about them. He said there was need for a serious national legislation which the national assembly is yet to do, adding that some resorted to banning while others regulated by number. He emphasised the need for the issue to be given a national outlook.

He said with the estimated number of over 10 million people involved, there was need for it to be given serious and urgent attention, especially the legal instruments used by other states. He said also that the policing aspect was also critical as the police in the country are not enough to cover such growing needs.

What the citizens of Kano await is the implementation of the recommendations, so as to alleviate the fears associated with the business of ‘acaba’ which has become part of the society, yet posing threats to the society it is serving.