Esewezie Begins ‘Know Your Rider’ Initiative In Okpanam
THE Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Innocent Esewezie, has taken the “Know Your Rider” campaign to the Okpanam Axis, where he was welcomed by the Divisional Police Officer of Okpanam, CSP Gambo Ado and Mr. Joseph Okolie, also known as “Onye-Army”, who is the Chairman of the Association of Okada/Keke Riders in Oshimili North Local Government Area.
According to Odeh Ikechukwu, Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, the campaign is geared towards establishing a friendly and secure base for riders and inhabitants of Okpanam, through the fight against social vices with the aid of tricycles, ranging from kidnapping, theft and other nefarious activities.
While sensitising the riders, Esewezie harped on the need for motorcycle operators to wear aprons, saying it will be freely given to them for proper identification, while strict measures will be taken against defaulters who refuse to wear their aprons. He warned that there will be full enforcement by taskforce personnel, so as to ensure compliance.
Esewezie informed that his administration will embark on another exercise, tagged “Know Your Neighbour”, to check criminal activities bedeviling various communities, saying proactive measures will be put in place to check the constant influx of persons migrating into various towns within the local government area.
In a similar vein, the Okpanam D.P.O, CSP Gambo advised the riders against handing their bikes and aprons to other persons, as any crime committed by such persons would be traced to them using the apron identification number in the registration process.
Chairman of the Okada Riders Association in Oshimili North L.G.A, Mr. Joseph Okolie, thanked the Council Chairman for the innovative campaign to secure lives and properties in Oshimili North, while he assured that the riders would fully comply. The process was successfully implemented in Ibusa, where all Okada riders had a vest and tracking number, while vital information, which pertains to each rider, was saved on a data base, to monitor the activities of motorcyclists.
