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

The House of Representatives at the plenary on 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 Yalleman (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 are taking place. Yalleman had while moving his motion noted that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the 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 of 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 kidnappers 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 palliatives measures to cushion the expected effects of the ban. While worrying that the proposed ban render millions of Nigerians jobless, Yalleman said putting a sizeable number of the population out of work would only aggravate the security challenges in the country. Shortly after moving the motion, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Idris Wase, who presided over the plenary session, urged him to stepdown the motion, as the parliament is obligated to support the federal government in their efforts to curb the worsening insecurity in the country. Wase said: "We should cooperate with the government, however, we appreciate what our brother has brought, and we appeal to the government that as it implement this policy, the government 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 to curb the incessant insecurity in our country, we have to cooperate with the government. You can’t imagine what’s going on today in Abuja. I went through DSS reports-44 reports were given before the attack of Kuje prison. And they all stated that there’s no community where attack would happen that you don’t have an intel. So we have to cooperate with the government."