The Government of Anambra State has announced new restrictions on the use of motorcycle within the state, over security concerns. Although, it would be recalled that the state has a law passed in the House of Assembly that limits the time within which motorcycle can be used in the state. However, the law has more or less not been implemented over the years.
An earlier attempt to implement the restrictions in Nnewi, met a lot of resistance. Only about two years ago, the government out rightly banned the use of motorcycles in Onitsha and Awka, the state capital, but left Nnewi out of the total ban.
Today, the government has announced enforcement of restrictions in the use of motorcycles across the state, while also restating the ban in Awka and Onitsha.
Read details of the new restrictions below, in a statement signed by the Anambra State Commissioner of Information.
- Following a series of security and intelligence reports which have dispassionately been analysed, the Anambra State Government hereby announces a restriction of movement of all types of motorcycles in all parts of the state. Motorcycles can operate from 6am to 9pm. This restriction applies to commercial and noncommercial motorcycles.
- The period allowed for motorcycle movement in other parts of the state is appropriate for people doing legitimate businesses. Most crimes in the state take place between 9pm and 6am. Of course, the total ban on use of motorcycles in Onitsha and Awka since 2018 remains in force.
- The Anambra State Government is irrevocably committed to the protection of the life and asset of every person in the state. This commitment has resulted in the state’s emergence in the last few years as the safest and most peaceful state in not just Nigeria but also West Africa. Consequently, the state has recorded an investment flow on an unprecedented scale.
- In consideration of the above, the Anambra State Government cannot allow tiny groups of criminally minded elements to carry out their plans to unleash mayhem in the state in the months of December and January, and use motorcycles to carry out the nefarious activity. It is regrettable that most of the violent crimes which occurred in the state in recent times like clashes by cult groups were perpetrated by persons using motorcycles.
- The restriction on the movement of motorcycles which comes into force from today, December 4, 2020, will be enforced strictly. The enforcement will be led by, apart from the Nigeria Police Force, youth groups in every community working in conjunction with the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG), which has over the years made Anambra State exemplary in community policing throughout the country.
- All community leaders like Traditional Rulers and Presidents General of Town Unions are directed to ensure the success of the new measure to safeguard the life and property of every Anambra person. Indeed, every onye Anambra has a duty to ensure that the 2020 Christmas Season and the New Year are celebrated without any incidents, as has been the case in recent years in the state.
God bless Anambra State, the Light of the Nation.
Signed
C. Don Adinuba
Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment
Ebuka graduated with a second-class upper-division degree in Political Science from the University of Calabar in Nigeria. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master's Degree in Political Science with a specialization in Government and Development Studies from Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Nigeria. His academic background and professional experience have equipped him with a deep understanding of political dynamics and governance issues.
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