CAPEKIC HELD AN OKADA MEETING OVER THE RECENT HIKE OF LEVY IMPOSED ON OKADA RIDERS.

More than one hundred okada riders gathered on 08 September, 2016 over the recent hike from #50 to #100 (a levy collected on daily basis) imposed on them by the Ajeromi Ifelodun local government authority without any democratic discussion and deliberation to justify why the increment is justifiable. 

The okada riders in the meeting complain bitterly over the sudden increment that is outrageous and anti-poor for them to
survive through this, now especially the economy is tougher and very challenging to survive under the Buhari led APC mantra of change government that has made life more miserable for working class families.

Some of the okada riders who spoke in the meeting mention how their unions have virtually stood at the side of the local government authority against them into forceful extortion. One of the okada riders was assigned in the meeting to be the interpreter of the native language (Hausa) for the benefit of those who doesn’t understand either English or pidgin language.

Comments and clarifications were made in the meeting concerning why they (okada riders) should organize themselves peacefully in order to achieve their demand; that they shouldn’t pay attention to the aristocratic elites in the community who are beneficiary of the rottenness in the system, because they have been part of the whole problem. 

 One of the bike men named Dennis who equally was a leading member in the CAPEKIC Leadership as TASK FORCES stood to address the others about the victory earn on the 22 March, 2016 against police brutality. He appeal to the riders that for them to make any huge difference against the victimization they suffer both from the local government authority and their various bureaucratic union leaders, they (okada riders) must be able to unite under one cause to put an end to this exploitation and extortion.

Members of Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) who were also in the meeting intervened and advice the riders to seize this opportunity laid before them to demand for other related demands the government has refused to provide. They sharply put the statement before every bike men presents in the meeting that the government won’t back down without them organizing as united force to bring down the sigil of imposed levy on all okada riders.

The meeting was able to raise a fighting fund of #3, 865 and it ended on two vital resolutions that will kick on the next meeting. (i) Mobilization materials to be produce like flyer for next Thursday public meeting (15 September, 2016). (ii) Mobilize all okada units to all attend the meeting. However, copies of the recent Social Democracy publication collected some weeks ago had been exhausted before this emergency meeting. Still, the meeting recorded a huge impact.