Posted by By IBRAHIM BARDE, Kano on
Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State has put paid to the speculation that if he dared launch his pet transport improvement programme which aims at discouraging conveyance of women on motorcycles, the state will burn.
Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State has put paid to the speculation that if he dared launch his pet transport improvement programme which aims at discouraging conveyance of women on motorcycles, the state will burn.
He rolled out 100 buses, 500 tricycles at the massive Township Stadium, Sabon Gari, on July 26, 2005 and launched them into use amid pomp and ceremony. It all went peacefully without the fracas and conflicts.
Delivering his speech, while decked in the new uniform for the state's commercial motorcyclists, the governor, exuding gaiety and happiness, declared: 'We all thank God for this great and historic day," he said and was greeted with a thunderous ovation. Then he added:
'It is said that a promise that is made, based on faith, shall always come to pass. Therefore, I would like to remind my brothers and sisters, the people of Kano State, that we made several promises on the 29th of May 2003, the day we were sworn-into office and have been fulfilling the promises as follows:
'The establishment of the Sharia commission, Zakka Commission and Hisba board for the functioning of Sharia in our state was effected on November 8, 2003.
'We have employed 2,000 workers to take care of our sanitation and refuse problems with 20 new refuse collection vehicles on March 4, 2004.
'We started the reconstruction of Burma/Festing road and other six streets in Kano on June 24, 2004. We launched our youth empowerment programme with 2,000 youths on the first day on July 20, 2004; we launched our ‘adai-daita sahu' reorientation programme on 20, July 2004. We employed 9,000 members of Hisba on 3rd July, 2005 and as you all know, the list is limitless.
'We are gathered here to launch 100 buses and 500 tricycles and 150,000 uniforms for our commercial motorcyles," Shekarau said.
Daily Sun gathered that with the launching of the new vehicles and tricycles, the state government intends to enforce the edict which specifies rules and regulations in accordance with the Sharia code, one of which is that it is illegal for a commercial motorcyclist to convey women but people can carry their wives on the motorcycles.
This has elicited a debate among Nigerians in Kano; Some introduced religious sentiment into it, but others insisted that the government had done what it did in good fate: 'I love to go about on motorcycles but now the government is saying they will stop women from riding on Achaba, let me see who will prevent me from doing that," said a certain Christiana Jones. But not far from her locality on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, another lady by the name of Abigail praised the government's initiative:
'Achaba riding is disgraceful to us the womenfolk, if it were not for lack of taxi cabs on our roads these days, no woman worth her salt will be climbing Achaba to expose herself and, not to think of the dangers involved! Since the state government has made provisions for alternatives with buses and tri-cycles, I think we should embrace the governor and thank him for a job well done. This is the right thing to do; :Let us obey our laws and live together in peace, let us not introduce difference of religious beliefs into this. It is a social problem that we have to tackle; in fact, if nothing is done urgently, the motorcycles are increasing daily and one day, we will discover that there will be no space for other road users, especially motor vehicles."
During the swearing-in ceremony of the commissioner of education and special adviser on July 6, 2004, the governor remarked that: 'Our realization of the dwindling services the government is providing to the people in the area of transportation, informed our decision to create the ministry of transport and tourism; this is an effort that is intended to, not only re-invigorate the state transport service and boost transportation but to equally bring alive the fast declining tourism industry in Kano."