In Osun: Okada Riders Protest Over Daily Ticket Fee Collection By Govt

There was a violent protest in Osogbo, capital of Osun state over daily N200 ticket fee collection by the state government.

Commercial motorcyclists popularity known as “Okada riders” took over the popular Olaiya junction around 11:20am on Tuesday in protest against the fee collection.

The protesting Okada riders caused severe traffic gridlock and demanded that the state government should cease collecting the ticket fee.

Our correspondent gathered that the ticket fee is part of the state government’s efforts to boost the internal revenue generation in the state.

The protesters claimed that Okada riders association would still collect N50 ticket fee daily from them aside the N200 that the state government just initiated.

A copy of the ticket sighted by our correspondent has “Osun State Government Internal Revenue Service Transporters Daily Ticket” written on it.

Leaders of the Okada riders’ association had mobilized their members to give out the tickets to every rider in sight.

One of the leaders of the Okada riders association told our correspondent that government had announced the collection before bits commencement saying Okada riders in the state were not ready to assist the government in revenue generation.

One of the protesters said there is economic hardship in the state and the new ticket fee is too much for them to afford.

The protesters called for the scrapping of the ticket fee and tasked the state government on the rise in the security challenges that have been ravaging the state.