Former Chairman of the Kwara State Motorcycle Riders Association, Alhaji Abdulfatai Oladimeji, has denied allegations that former leaders of the association were responsible for the introduction of the identity card levy imposed on commercial motorcycle operators in the state.
Oladimeji, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin, said the association merely complied with a directive from the state government, insisting that the decision was not initiated by the leadership of the motorcycle riders.
He identified the Chairman of Irepodun Local Government Area, Alhaji Azeez Tinuola, as the government representative who conveyed the directive to the association.
The former chairman appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to suspend the ₦2,500 identity card charge, saying the amount was beyond the reach of many commercial motorcycle operators already struggling with the country’s harsh economic conditions.
He noted that rising petrol prices, increasing costs of spare parts and other operational expenses had placed enormous financial pressure on riders.
While reaffirming the association’s support for government efforts to strengthen security across the state, Oladimeji urged the administration to review the policy in the interest of operators.
According to him, security remains a collective responsibility, but measures introduced to achieve it should not further worsen the economic hardship faced by citizens.
“We did not introduce the identity card policy. We only complied with an order from the government’s representative, who is also one of us and the Chairman of Irepodun Local Government, Alhaji Azeez Tinuola,” he said, dismissing claims that former leaders and stakeholders of the association were behind the levy.
He added that members of the association had accepted the directive in obedience to the government, despite their reservations, and appealed to the governor to intervene by reviewing the charge to make life easier for commercial motorcycle operators across the state.
Some other leaders of the association who also spoke with journalists said they were not comfortable with the policy but had no option than to comply with the government’s directive.
They expressed hope that the state government would listen to the concerns of riders and reconsider the implementation of the identity card levy.
Meanwhile, some commercial motorcycle operators in the Ilorin metropolis expressed dissatisfaction over the policy, describing the levy as an additional burden amid prevailing economic hardship.
The riders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that enforcement by police officers and officials of the Kwara State Transport Management Authority (KWATMA) had exposed them to harassment, and appealed to the state government to review the policy.
