Heavy Tension in Kano - between Hisbah and 'Yan Acaba

[bakangizo]

Public transport with a level of state interest is obviously completely different from that ran by private enterprise!!!  Private sector will run purely on commercial grounds while a public sector will... blah blah blah...

Fine. Then tell me the "Public transport system", ran by the govt in those times you were referring to, and which covers those places/areas the achabas took over now, and, again, which the present public and private transport refused to, cannot and/or fail to cover, which necessitates the use of achaba. Simple :!:

mallamt wrote
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By the way kafi matayen nan son kansu ne? idon za su shiga gari kan achaba bayan anada motochin hawa su suka giyo ina ruwan ka? Ka dubi naka kawai ka tabatar chewa kai baka zubar da mutuncin ka ba!!!!
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Cute! Something like:  "Well, the safety belt in vehicles protect only the owners. So what's govt's or anybody's business if people refuse to wear seat belts. After all it is their lives".

[mallamt]

Bakan~Gizo

are you implying that people just use achabas for the fun of it? they don't care for themselves they enjoy the scorcing sun on their backs and other climatic conditions, they love the danger etc?  if not then what are you really trying to say let us move from the semantics or debate!!!!

[sdanyaro]

There is an article regarding this at this link http://kanoonline.com/mb/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=29
Banning mingling of heterogeneous sexes on commercial vehicles in Kano
by Abdul?Aziz Ahmad

[bakangizo]

Bakan~Gizo

are you implying that people just use achabas for the fun of it? they don't care for themselves they enjoy the scorcing sun on their backs and other climatic conditions, they love the danger etc?  if not then what are you really trying to say let us move from the semantics or debate!!!!

I refer you to the link posted by sdanyaro. The writer said everything, and more, about my points on the issue:

1.  What's the religious implication on the issue
2.   How come it is now a necessity of life to ride on Okada, a means of  transport that only came into existence in the '90s?
3.   Isn't it high time the dangerous menace and excessess of achaba is
     checked?
4.   Many a times we  sentimentally engage in acts that are detrimental  to us. We therefore need someone to keep us in line. Think of the "Seat Belt'  example.

[mallamt]

Bakan~Gizo

I think we do not have a difference in veiw of the danger and menace that achabas pose to the society.  far be from it I also subscribe to their elimination but we must also consider people when we do this.  For instance alternatives that are put in place can be rolled out gradually ie to say start with either specific routes or specific areas and either ban or limit achabas on those areas an you continue rolling out like that each time ensuring you have attained a critical mass in the area you intend to roll out in.

Now how come achabas are an absolute necessity you ask first look at costs then look at the routes they are able to ply and look at the speed or quickness with which you are able to get to your destination (thanks again to traffic holdups due to poor transport planning).  The other issue is that is are achabas unique to only kano? is it possible that the same or similar conditions gave rise to them in other cities in the country?  What has been the state (costs, condition, accesibility, swiftness in traffic and traffic conditions) public transport in kano and the rest of the country? Once you can answer some of these we will be able to understand where we have failed and the gap achabas are filling.  The fact that a system we feel is so dangerous that started only in the 90's can assume such a position in our society points to a problem in our system of transport planning.  (Look at the rate of corruption why is it such  national past time in nigeria? simple because no one does anything to those that partake in it infact society praises them and dorn them with chieftancy titles)

The seat belt example is a very good exaple that tells you what the role of govt is - to legislate and protect the lives and property of citizenry.  As you have correctly pointed out govt may legislate that all should wear safety belts in a car NOT A SECTION OF SOCIETY!! Nor do they (govt) ban cars because cars get involved in accidents!!  Govt legislates and provides the conditions (rules) that must be met before a car is operated on the roads.  In other words achabas as we know them may need legislation to make them safer for ALL CITIZENS OF KANO!!! this may take the form of them even having some kind of tuk tuk trailer or whatever, that is where govt role is, not in inhibiting enterprenuership or banning a section of society from riding on them, that does not solve the problem in that it does not take away the danger they pose!!

[bakangizo]

I see your point, but I think we are going round and round in circles. You said what made them necessary is the quickness they ferry us to work, ease and all the routes they ply. This is too convinient an excuse to  allow the achaba menace to continue unchecked. How it becomes necessary such that regulating or even outright banning (some States have toyed with that idea) of them will drastically affect our lives.  How do we get to work fast b4 achabas appeared? How do we access all those "achaba-monopolized" routes pre-achaba period? In any case, I will prefer to go to work late, and in one piece, then being maimed/killed on an achaba or by an achaba. Kindly visit our hospitals and obtain the daily statistics of  people killed/maimed by achaba. I tell you it is not worth it.

With regard to implementation of this achaba law, there was adequate publicity. The achaba units were adequately informed. And don't forget the govt tried to provide a fall back for women in the form of the tricycles.

Remember that with all the excellent road network of the FCT, Abuja, achabas have trooped there!. It took the determined intervention of the Minister to check the menace there. So it is not an exclusive issue of bad roads or traffic congestions. Or are there any "lungus" in Abuja that a taxi cannot access? :lol:  And we've not heard all these hulabaloo when they are banned there? And it has not stopped people from going to work early or women from reaching their destinations!

Lastly, I agree with you in saying the govt has neglected the transport sector for a long time. And we have formed the habit of relegating vital sectors of the polity to the background when it comes to policy making. Amma wallahi, yallabai, I don't mind the govt checking the excesses of achaba. With or without any legislation!

[bakangizo]

Bakan~Gizo
In other words achabas as we know them may need legislation to make them safer for ALL CITIZENS OF KANO!!! this may take the form of them even having some kind of tuk tuk trailer or whatever, that is where govt role is, not in inhibiting enterprenuership or banning a section of society from riding on them, that does not solve the problem in that it does not take away the danger they pose!!

I see your grudge  is with banning women. This is in conformity with Islamic conjuction. We cannot be more logical than Allah who laid down the injuction.

And from what I read, the govt will soon come out with a new, whole sale  law regulating achaba activities, not only for carrying women, but on reckless/dangerous driving, overloading etc. Already a mobile court has been constituted to that effect.

[mallamt]

Bakan~Gizo

I suppose it is more convenient to dismiss what I have said as being "a grudge with the banning of women".  I think or believe that the difficulty you seem to be having here (in this particular case) is enforcing provisions of islamic law vis a viz protecting the life and property citizenry in terms peoples expectations of a govt irrespective of any religious leaning.  Now if you go by what has been said by everyone on this subject - you and I inclusive, you will see that we agree that acabas are a menace and danger to society and agree on their banning (however I believe we will think differently if they conduct themselves better and are safer means of transportation).  Should the govt play its role in legislating for what it should be doing and ensuring the proper conduct of achabas they will be safer in the first place, then they can be properly assigned or regulated to meet other requirements (islamic law) more easily.  the problem people are having with the current ban is that it is a diversionary tactics of people who do not want to face up to their responsibilities and want to hide behind islamic laws, the point is that govt must not be allowed to abdicate its responsibilities in the name of islamic law because islamic laws require them to uphold their responsibilities.  The people making these laws are not afected by the ban their siblings are riding in govt owned vehicles paid for by the tax payer, it is the common man (both men and women) that is suffering they make up the statistic you are talking about not just women.

It is good to see that govt is even coming out with a mobile court, but I think they must first set regulations that will make it possible to define achaba what it must entail and let standards be developed by the responsible civil servants for the classification of a vehicle as an achaba as well as the type of environments it should operate etc

Publicising a law does not mean you have provided the enabling tools or environment in other words it is neither her nor there and govt must move away from that system of law making.  You can not tell people to farm, farm or else they will go to jail and you do not provide them with access to farming tools, seedlings, land etc.  Where are they to get these? Should they then resort to stealing? will they not be commiting another offence?

Whatever we will say, there is a gap that achabas are filling we need to accept that and try and find out what gap that is and how it can be plugged.  I do not believe that the whole country is made up of cowboys who enjoy risking their limbs and lives on achabas and if not so why then do people keep using them? why do they appear profitable ventures? is that not a sign of them being very patronised? we need to find answers to these questions or else you ban them in one place they will crop up in another or reappear under a different guise.  So whether is is their speed, there ability to manuever in traffic or whatever we need to know why people really use achabas.