Posted by By Bayo Adetu on
Following the Federal Road Safety Commission's (FRSC) order that okada riders and their passengers must wear the approved safety helmets, some of the okada riders who cannot afford the helmet have resorted to constructing their own helmets, using plastic buckets.
Following the Federal Road Safety Commission's (FRSC) order that okada riders and their passengers must wear the approved safety helmets, some of the okada riders who cannot afford the helmet have resorted to constructing their own helmets, using plastic buckets.
Since the FRSC directive, which was issued in June, last year, came into effect on 1 January, all kinds of funny looking helmets, most of which are hand made, are now commonly used by okada riders.
According to Linus Nwachukwu, a 61-year-old okada rider and one of the users of such unapproved helmets, since he cannot afford N4,500 to buy the approved helmet, it becomes imperative for him to construct one with a plastic.
He said, as the breadwinner, he feeds his eight kids and wife with the money he makes daily from riding okada, so he cannot afford to sit at home because he does not have the approved helmet.
'A helmet is now sold for N4,500 and for me to buy the required two means that I must cough out N9,000. Where do they expect me to get that money from? My okada is an old one, so I'm just using it get chop money. I can't buy a car or build house from it.
'Why is the government making life unbearable for me all in the name of protecting me? If they really want to protect me, then they should sell the helmet for N500,' Linus said.
A resident of 13, Odozie Street, Ojodu, Linus told P.M.News that he started riding okada in 1994, after losing his job as a result of the MKO Abiola crisis.
Also speaking with P.M.News, another okada rider, Chijioke Ossai, said he has money to buy the approved helmet, but all his efforts to get it at the FRSC office have so far proved futile.
'Since I cannot just sit at home and be looking, I had to construct my own helmet with a plastic. 'The government should please have mercy on us because we have no other means of survival,' he said.