The ban on commercial motorcycle business by some state governments and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been condemned by the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero.
Comrade Ajaero also condemned the profiling of motorcyclists as criminals, pointing out that commercial motorcycling has become a source of livelihood to many homes.
This is coming as a new trade union, Motorcycle Operators Union of Nigeria (MOUN), has approached the NLC to seek for affiliation.
Speaking at a meeting with MOUN national executives in Abuja, led by its National President, Comrade Julius Oghenevwegba Bobi, the NLC President disclosed that MOUN would be the 45th affiliate body of the Congress.
He said: “The idea of banning motorcyclists is an indication of the clear insensitivity of government authorities, who are always prejudicial whenever theft cases are executed to mean cyclists are the ones.
“If you allege that they are the ones and you ban them when they are not, who then is wrong? Again, what provision have you made for them? The government has refused to provide jobs for these category of people. How can they survive with their families? When vehicles engage in accidents and or being used by armed robbers, will that have prompted the government to ban vehicles? The answer is absolute NO”.
On his part, Comrade Bobi said the ban on commercial motorcyclists amounts to “throwing away the baby with the bath water”, even as he disclosed that the body had been successfully registered at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as a labour union.
He said MOUN is affiliating with NLC owing to its pedigree, mass spread and vibrant leadership, adding that the Union would help MOUN achieve its dreams and objectives.
While lamenting that criminal elements have been using it to perpetrate heinous crimes in the society, Comrade Bobi called on security agencies to fish out the perpetrators.
He assured that the Union would train, retrain and re-orientate their members to be law-abiding and exhibit good conduct in the discharge of their duties.