Okada Riders Go on Rampage in Bamenda, Say Ndumu Must Go

Bike riders invade city chemist roundabout

Over 1000 okada riders blocked the City Chemist Round About today, June 27, 2012 to express their grievances. The okada riders have been angered by the fact that the Council police in Bamenda are more corrupt than the regular forces of law and order. They say the Government Delegate to the Bamenda City Council, Vincent Nji Ndumu must go. “No Council Police” they chanted. It is even alleged that the “Hooligans” as they are commonly referred to also shattered the screens of some vehicles at the City Council premises before moving to City Chemist Roundabout where they blocked traffic for over an hour. Some of the riders argued that it is uncalled for that the City Council Police is asking them driving licenses as well as other documents that they cannot afford for. “We cannot pay 50.000 FCFA for a driving license and the SDO is saying we should not carry more than one person on the bike”. Some of them even complained that even if they pay the money, it might end up in private pockets. They also observed that if the public treasury has been pocketed by few individuals, they would have had better jobs. “We want the state to recover all the money stolen by these state gangsters, many whom are still moving in our streets before we too can pay more money to the treasury” one of them hammered. Those who defied the call for the strike brutalized by their colleagues; however, there is relative calm at City Chemist Roundabout as the over 1000 okada riders have moved to meet the Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam. However, it is alleged that there are over 5000 okada riders in Bamenda, out of this number approximately 4000 are in the without driver’s licenses. Whereas a day ago, the same okada riders held a meeting with the SDO for Mezam and agreed that they must all comply to the Prime Ministerial text of December 2010 regulating the motorbike sector especially commercial motorbike businesses.

(Affaire a suivre )

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