A former Minister of Education and Co-Convener of Bring Back Our Girls, Oby Ezekwesili, has said that she expected the Lagos State government to have reversed itself on the ban on Okada and Keke from some areas in the state.

Ezekwesili in a series of tweets via her Twitter handle on Tuesday described the ban as hasty and poorly designed.

She said the ban should be reversed to put a stop to the ‘unnecessary hardship’ on the people of the state.

The ban on the operation of motorcycles and tricycles in 15 local government areas and local council development areas of the state enters day four today amidst outcry from residents.

Many workers were seen in viral videos and photos on Monday trekking several kilometers to major bus stops where they would board buses to their respective destinations.

After reversing the ban, the former minister advised the state government to go back to the policy design table and restart a proper process for solving the problems originally identified.

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Ezekwesili said:

“It does not have to be like this. No. I am not saying that Governance is easy. Of course not. There will be difficulties. There will always be challenges in Governance. But to consistently offer Governance that only guarantees daily hardship for your Citizens? Come on.

“As a Leader, even if your people don’t care for themselves, you have a duty to care for them. Something is congenitally lacking in the DNA of our Public Leadership. Until we fixed this Empathy-Deficit in our Public Governance, Policies will always breed unnecessary hardship.”

She added:

“I expect @lagosstategov to have by now reversed itself on the hasty and poorly designed #OkadaKekeBan. Reverse it and stop the unnecessary hardship. Then get back to your Policy Design Table and restart a proper process for solving the Problems originally identified.

“Too many minuses. Disruption of already difficult life of your Citizens. Further loss of productivity for businesses already struggling to stay alive& meet payroll. Terrible damage to reputation of country as a stable investment destination.”

 

See her tweet:

 

It does not have to be like this.
No.
I am not saying that Governance is easy.
Of course not.
There will be difficulties.
There will always be challenges in Governance.
But to consistently offer Governance that only guarantees daily hardship for your Citizens?
Come on.

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) February 4, 2020