PREAMBLE
Recently in Lugbe, a suburb of the city of Abuja, Okada riders in a frenzied mob action descended on a car owner and stabbed him to death, following an accident that involved an Okada rider and the now deceased motorist.
Not too long ago also, the daily Sun Newspaper reported an incident where a commercial motorbike operator and his female passenger were killed in an accident. Both were crushed by a truck on Oba Akran Road in Ikeja, Lagos State, one of the route motorbikes were restricted from.
The above ugly incidents are just a few out of several others that occur daily in different cities of the nation, thus underlining the worrisome threat posed by Okada riders who operate with sheer recklessness across the nation. Many have been killed, while others have been left with lifelong injuries. One must not also forget the increasing rate of criminal acts being executed on Okada.
Currently, most of our major cities are witnessing a steady influx of thousands of young Okada riders from a particular part of the country. Many of these youngsters do not know or care to learn the rudiments of traffic and safety regulations.
They operate as untouchables and as lords. They block parts of the roads, ride against traffic, flout restrictions orders and account for uncountable accidents in our cities. Most of them operate without plate numbers or any form of registration for easy identification, in view of the high level of security concerns caused by rampant kidnapping and armed robbery.
There have been cases, where some Okada riders robbed their passengers in the night or even killed those who resisted them.
The role of unfaithful Policemen also encourages the recklessness of these Okada riders, as they collect money from them rather than prosecute them.
What is even more worrisome is the unwillingness (lack of will for the sake of political considerations) of some state governments to enforce existing restrictions and traffic laws.
It is against this background that we are led to undertake a concerted prayer action that targets this sector of our public transportation system. We are to consider this assignment as part of our on-going 9 MONTHS YOUTH PRAYER PROJECT seeing that a greater percentage of those involved in the Okada business are also youths.
MODE OF ACTION
This prayer action will be executed at two stages:
STAGE ONE:
4TH – 10TH NOVEMBER, 2019
7 DAYS OF PREPARATION
It will involve meeting daily for about 2hours to pray and share gathered information about the nature and extent of the Okada menace in the area.
STAGE TWO:
11TH – 18TH NOVEMBER, 2019
8 DAYS OF ON-SIGHT ACTION
During these 8 days, INTENSIVE PROPHETIC ACTIONS & VISITATIONS should be made to various identified major Okada joints in the territory. Prayer visitations should also be made to Local Government Councils, Road Safety Offices, and Vehicle Inspection Offices etc. The reason for this is to stir up the relevant agencies in those places to wake up to their duties.
For this second segment of the Prayer action, Coordinators are to deploy all available intercessors in a way to ensure that all the days of the Prayer Action are effectively covered.
COMMENCEMENT/DURATION
This Prayer Action shall commence in all INTERCESSORS FOR NIGERIA Formations on MONDAY THE 4TH OF NOVEMBER and end on the 18TH OF NOVEMBER, 2019.
PRAYER POINTS
- Bring a heartfelt repentance and lamentation before the Lord on account of the havoc and menace posed by Okada riders in various towns and cities of Nigeria.
Some of their many transgressions include:
– Lawlessness
– Flagrant disregard for traffic rules and regulations
– Extreme violence: Resorting to jungle justice in the defence of their members
– Use of Marijuana and alcohol
- Acknowledge and lament before God, the use of Okada for various criminal acts like:
– Snatching of personal effects like bags, mobile phones, wallets/purse etc
– Abductions and killings
– Raping of innocent female passengers
- The greatest negative impact of the use of Okada for commercial transportation is the high rate of motorcycle related accidents recorded daily across the country. It is undisputable that more than half of those killed in accidents involving vehicles in cities and towns are Okada riders and passengers.
Make a formal report before God and demand a reversal of this trend.
- Okada riders have proven to be the most unruly set of people in the transport sector.
Pray for the conversion of their souls, so that they experience redemption and a change of attitude.
- Pray and bind the spirit of violence and lawlessness that are at work in this sector of our transportation system. PSALM 5:4-5
- Decree that the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations must henceforth be taken seriously across all the states of the country. JUDGES 5:2
- Pray to break the evil unity they enjoy in their Okada Unions that emboldens them to resort to jungle justice. HAGG. 2:22
- Pray that the menace that these commercial motorcyclists are causing will provoke relevant policy makers to design an appropriate, comprehensive mass transportation policy for our cities as is the case in most other organised nations.
- Ask God to stir up the hearts of the relevant agencies responsible for traffic control and management to enforce existing bans and restrictions orders in major cities in the country. HAGG. 2:14
PROPHETIC COURT SESSION
Carry out a prophetic court session presenting this matter formally before the Almighty, the Judge of all and ask for the following specific reliefs among others:
– That all commercial motorcyclists should be duly registered and licensed with the appropriate authorities and such licences renewed accordingly from time to time.
– That traffic rules and regulations should be strictly enforced on these motorcyclists by the appropriate regulatory agency.
– That all commercial motorcyclists be taken through a period of mandatory training in order to qualify for registration and full licensing.
– All safety measures including the use of helmets that were earlier in place be urgently revived and enforced accordingly.
– That every evil agenda intended to be achieved using some of these Okada riders as foot soldiers be exposed and dismantled.
– That God will give both the Federal and State governments no rest until this sector of our economy is completely sanitized.
– You can add to the list: based on the leading of the Spirit.
MONITORING/REPORT
REGIONAL and STATE COORDINATORS are to monitor and ensure that this prophetic prayer action is diligently carried out. Efforts should be made to invite willing Local Assemblies to participate in the Project. A WRITTEN REPORT is expected to be submitted to the NATIONAL COORDINATOR on or before the 25TH OF NOVEMBER, 2019.
CONCLUSION
It is not disputable that until God’s Prophets rise up to take responsibilities the purposes of God will continue to be delayed.
I therefore charge us to give this prophetic action all the sacrifice it requires to merit God’s attention and intervention.
May the Lord our God grant us the fullness of His wisdom and protection as we step out in obedience to honour Him in this assignment.
IHEANYI UZOMA
NATIONAL COORDINATOR
