Mustapha Suleiman
5 January 2009
Motorcyclists and their passengers yesterday in Abuja reacted to the Federal Road Safety Commission's directive on the usage of safety helmets. Sani Ado, a commercial motorcyclist who plies Gwagwalada roads, complained that the introduction of the crash helmet will worsen his financial situation as he makes little from his bike that is not enough to feed his family, not to talk of procuring crash helmets.
"Most users of motorcycles in the FCT are in the poor class and now they are asking us to buy helmets, " he complained.
Another cyclist, Musa Lawal, argued that the helmet enforcement order is avenues to make those that trade on the product make brisk business through sales.
"You know that the contract for the supply of these helmets will be awarded to some certain categories of persons and I believe these people must have worked to see that the use of helmets are forced on us so that they can make more money," he argued.
Mrs. Stella, a passenger on a bike, expressed fear that the use of passenger's helmets by different persons can lead to the transmission of infectious diseases.
"Have those enforcing this law considered that aspect, as someone having lice and other contagious skin diseases can easily spread it through the transfer of helmets from one person to another," she said.
Kolawole Aremu, another passenger also expressed his fear that ritualists or herbalists can put juju into such helmets to trap their victims.
"Some people can put Juju inside the helmets and when they are worn such victim can either lose consciousness or find himself dumb," he said.
Another passenger referred our reporter to the case of a girl that escaped from ritualists at Mararaba few years ago.
"According to the girl, it was a commercial motorcyclist wearing earrings that made her dumb through a means before carrying her to the ritualist's den inside a bush," he added.
Miss Isioma, an undergraduate of UniAbuja, appealed to FRSC officials to exempt ladies from using passenger helmet's because of their hairstyles.
" My hairstyle is braiding, weave-on attachments and I have also tried to see that the helmet fits on my head without it messing my hair," she explained.
Commercial motorcyclists such as Nasiru Hassan and Adeola Olusoji, however praised the FRSC for enforcing safety helmet in order to safe guard their lives.
Meanwhile the FRSC has reiterated its resolve not to go back on its enforcement of the use of helmets, saying it has come to stand.
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