Motorcycle parts dealers recount losses over Okada ban in Delta

…Say, ‘We are stranded’

Barely one month after the ban on commercial motorcyclists in parts of Delta State by the state government, businesses in the value chain are lamenting the negative impact on them. They have also expressed the hope that the ban would soon be lifted in the interest of the economy.

Apart from the commercial motorcycle riders, dealers in motorbike parts are counting their losses as business has plummeted.

They are calling on the state Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori to consider the millions of naira they invested in their businesses, their families and the economic situation in the country and show them mercy.

Below are the excerpts of the interviews granted to BusinessDay Sunday by some motorcycle parts dealers in Asaba, the state capital.

Chinyere Ekwumuka who is married, and have six children, said: “This ban has seriously affected my business and family. Since the ban a month ago, I have never received one naira from anybody because nobody has come to buy from me. Our children that are in school are asking about their school fees. Feeding is one of the major challenges we are also facing among other things.

I don’t know what to do as all my money was invested into the business. I don’t even have capital to change to another business. So, right now, I am confused and stranded. I don’t know where to go. They (government) didn’t even give us adequate notice to gather our money and switch to another business. In fact, I’m just tired of this life!

“I have almost N7 million worth of goods in my shop and I don’t even know what to do with them now. I don’t have savings because I used my money to buy goods before the ban.”

Explaining further on why she doesn’t have savings, Ekwumuka said: “The business was moving well and I continued investing money in the business, stocking goods. I didn’t know it would be like this. I would have left my money in the bank.

“I appeal to the state government to look into this and reconsider lifting the ban. We are not the ones that brought about bad eggs among Okada operators. We don’t encourage crime in anyway, rather we do our legitimate businesses and earn a living and by extension contribute to the economic development of the state.

“It would be fair if government would lift the ban and put adequate policy in place to regulate the activities of the Okada operators. Any of them that disobeys the law should be prosecuted.”

She however, pleaded: “If government insists on the ban, they can support us with funds to enable us switch to another business.”

Emeka Ugwuja, one of the popular motorcycle parts dealers in the metropolis, who is in his forties, lamented, “We are deeply affected! One of the major reasons we were affected was that we didn’t know ahead of time about the ban. When we knew about it, it was about five to six days to the commencement of the ban.”

The father of six, lamented, “I just came back from the market and heard that Okada would be banned. If the information had come on time, I wouldn’t have tried purchasing anything.

“I bought items of about N5 million. The ones in the shop were over N10 million, making it about N15 million. I returned over N3 million worth of goods and in the process, I lost N300,000. I mean, the products I bought, I returned to the sellers to buy back. It was like what I bought N7,500, they were buying it N6,000 from me. So, I lost a whopping N300,000 in trying to sell back some of the items at Nnewi. What I’m saying is that currently, I have over N10 million worth of goods in my shop, yet I can’t sell due to the ban on Okada.

“My appeal is that if there is a way the government can help us, they should do so. Let them allow Okada to operate within the nearby remote areas that Keke riders find difficult to ply, so that they can from there come and patronise us or we go to them.

“Apart from that, government can support us in one way or the other so that we can establish some other things. I am planning to divert into farming business but having not prepared about the Okada ban, I’m finding it difficult financially.

“Reconsidering lifting the ban and shifting to six months’ deadline would help us a lot because if they had given us like six months, everybody would be prepared, adjust to the situation and fix things for ourselves. We were taken unawares!

“We can’t force government but we are appealing that time be extended so we sell off our goods and make some other plans.”

Some dealers said that they just want a situation whereby they could be allowed to continue with their business. Ugwuja said: “When somebody has mastered what he does, if he should be allowed to continue with it, that’s the best

“All my money is stocked in goods which I cannot return back to Nnewi where I bought them from.

I’m losing a lot. People are not coming to buy the goods. I’m just stranded. No money to start another business. If government can support me with money, I can pack the goods and take them to wherever government says I should bring them, so that if they want to burn them, they can do so. What I want is money!”

Elijah Agbaedo, a big-time dealer, said: “This banning of Okada in Asaba has affected me too much. I am 40 years old, married and have four children. Some of them are in school.

“As you can see, everywhere now, nobody is here with me around this shop. I have a lot of mechanics and electricians but they are not here. I have three shops here which before the ban, I went to market and bought a lot of goods worth N7 million. And I don’t know where I will go. In fact, I’m confused!

“I have two parking stores and I have goods worth up to N35 million, plus the motorcycles that I sell apart from the parts. So, I’m stranded. In fact, since the ban, I’ve never got up to N20,000 in a day. Before, I used to make between N300,000 and N500,000 daily because I have a lot of mechanics and electricians that patronise me. So, many people were coming here. There’s one woman that used to sell food here, she is no longer coming because the Okada people that used to patronise her are gone. Some people, because of that food vendor, used to come here and buy goods from me. I don’t know what to do.

“It is not easy to change business. Instead of banning Okada operation outright, government restrict their operation to certain areas off the major roads and streets, so that we can continue with our business.

“This is not the first time Okada operation has been banned in this city. The first time, they were restricted from roads like Nnebisi, Okpanam and Expressway but this time, it includes even remote areas that Keke finds difficult to ply. This total ban in the state capital and some other LGAs has huge negative impact on our businesses and families.

“With my age, I am not supposed to be developing High Blood Pressure (HBP) but the last laboratory test I underwent in the hospital proved my BP rose higher since the ban. I experience lack of sleep and frustration. I appeal to the governor to temper justice with mercy.”

One of the affected persons who simply identified himself as Jude, said: “I have sent my wife and children to the village. I don’t want hunger to kill them here. Do I start robbery? No. That’s why I sent them to village, so that I can manage myself. Even if it is water, I’ll drink it until further notice. I have six children and they are in primary and secondary schools. My wife’s business is affected too because her hand is not yet strong in the business and we stay on the same street. Her major patronage comes from Okada people but now they are no more. I repair bikes and sell motorcycle parts too. So, both my business and handiwork are affected by the ban.

“We need extension to enable us sell the goods we have but the problem is that even if you restore Okada system, many have gone back to their village.

The solution is, whatever support the government wants to give us, they should do so. I’m hungry and I’m not happy at all.”

Irunna Ikenna, one of the dealers, said: “I’m seriously affected – business and family. Everything has crashed. Even my children stopped going to school. Some are in primary school and some in secondary. My wife is involved too. She has a shop the same nature of business.

“My pain is that government never gave time before the ban and government is not doing anything to cushion the effect of the ban. If you ban Okada, you ought to leave private motorcycles (lady’s machines) so that they come and patronise us. All are banned here; it’s not fair. Instead of outright ban, they should be restricted to certain areas for their operations.

“I am owing N1.5 million for the goods I bought on credit before the ban. My business is worth about N3 million inclusive of the goods I bought on credit.

“I pray that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the state government show us mercy, considering the current economic downturn in country.”