How Power Tussle Forced Oluomo To Ban Keke In Lagos

By Uche Mbah

Facts are beginning to emerge on why the Lagos state governor slammed a blanket ban on both the Okada riders and tricycle riders, generally called keke, with investigations linking the ban to the crisis between the National Association of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the umbrella body of Motorcycle and Tricycle Riders, which has the Acronym ACCOMORAN.

For days now, there has been no tricycle and motorcycles on the major roads of Lagos, with Governor Sanwolu refusing to lift the ban. This has brought untold hardship on commuters who patronize the Tricycles and motorcycles.

This Magazine was told that ACCOMORAN  has been having a running battle with NURTW, which also oversees the collection of revenue from them. According to them, the tax on Keke and Okada is becoming too much, and they decided that they should form their own association. In recent times, there were rumors that they plan to pull out of the umbrella body and become independent.

This does not go well with MC Oluomo, who was worried about his dwindling influence over the okada riders. It is also said that rival groups within the NURTW are backing the yet-to-breakaway group, a situation that made it difficult for Oluomo to handle by himself.

Oluomo is said to have the ears of former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who have several times used him for election purposes both in Lagos and Osun. It s rumored that Tinubu’s presidential ambition rely on Oluomo for grass root mobilization,”after which he will be rewarded with governorship of the state”, says a PDP source.

Oluomo was said to have prevailed on Tinubu to instruct his godson Babajide Sanwolu to ban both Okada and Keke. The Lagos law was only against Okada and not keke, but the comprehensive ban is needed to whip the association into line.

Oluomo was officially quoted as saying that he is discussing with the government on the ban.

It is believed that the only way the ban will be lifted is by ACCOMORAN to pledge unalloyed support for Oluomo and his faction of NURTW-though negotiations are said to be going on. But the negotiation is rather more on Opay company, which Oluomo allegedly also wanted fully under his umbrella.

“The ban will not be lifted until the governor gets directive from Oluomo via Tinubu”, the source said.