The recklessness of “motorcycle boys” in Umuaka.
4 min read
Editor’s note.
Two years ago, Umuaka Times wrote the story of “motorcycle boys” and their recklessness while driving. The story was then titled, Motorcycle obsession hits Umuaka boys. The newspaper has considered it worthy to reproduce the story once again especially now that Orlu Owerri Road has been tarred.
There is a trending and dangerous obsession that has completely gripped uncountable number of Umuaka boys who live in the village. This trend which has to do with the ownership of a motorcycle by almost each boy in the community has become so in-depth to the extent that the motorcycle owners are now known by their motorcycle names and colours. Umuaka Times observed that young motorcycle owners while trying to give a description of any home based growing male Akalite of today between the ages of 15 and 28 must mention his motorcycle brand.
Chibuzor (not real name) tried his best to make his listener understand whom he was talking about in a private conversation but it never went as he thought. Suddenly his listener cut him off and interjected. “Guy, there is no way I can understand the guy you are talking about unless you mention the name and colour of his motorcycle.”
From what Umuaka Times gathered, the ownership of a motorcycles does not in any way constitute any problem but what indeed creates a serious life-threatening problem and nuisance are the reckless driving methods of the young cyclists. Prominent among these methods is the complete failure of the cyclists to adhere in any form or shape to the traffic rules and signs while on the road with their bikes. Over speeding, constant and illegal use of the right blinking light while driving towards any direction, dangerous and illegal overtaking and more, form the body of the traffic nuisance caused by the motorcycle boys. Another finding made by Umuaka Times shows that the young cyclists usually move in a convoy of about 15 motorcycles or more especially during the evening or night hours with top speed. Their preferred routes include Ugbele Ukwu Oji Road, Amiyi Road, Uba Isu Njaba Road or even the dangerous Orlu Owerri Road. While on this convoy. anyone who tries to caution them on reckless driving stands the chance of being beaten up by the convoy of these young and 24 hours happy motorcyclists.
Many questions have been asked from certain quarters concerning the sources of funds spent to acquire the motorcycles by the owners at their very young age. Umuaka Times made some inquiries about the costs of the motorcycles and the findings were really shocking. The motorcycles are sold from N300, 000 to N510, 000 each. These prices seriously depend on the manufacturer and the brand. The money for the number plate registration, insurance and more are not included. More findings showed that the prices will go higher before the end of the year 2020 especially during Christmas time. Yet, the young riders drive the machines as if they were sold to them at give away price. By a rough estimate, Umuaka boys have spent not less than 100 million Naira on motorcycles as at press time.
An Nnewi man who deals on motorcycles in Nnewi, where the young Akalites travel to purchase the bikes, told Umuaka Times that in each week, at least 10 motorcycles are “imported” into Umuaka by end users. ”The moment an Umuaka boy arrives at the market, through their dialect, we will know where they are from and it means big business for us. Our prayer is that they will continue to help our business. Umuaka is the highest buyer of ladies motorcycles East of the Niger,” he told Umuaka Times in a brief interview.
In order to reduce the cost of logistics while trying to purchase the in Nnewi. some sharp businessmen in Umuaka have suddenly become local “importers”. These businessmen go to Nnewi, buy the machines and “import” them to Umuaka and sell to the end user boys. It is costlier to buy in Umuaka than to buy in Nnewi but none of the young non-commercial cyclists cares about the cost.
The sources of the funds spent to purchase the motorcycles by these young Akalites seriously remain inexplicable to Umuaka Times and many others. Some people who spoke to Umuaka Times on the condition of anonymity gave diverse opinions on the sources of the funds. Some said the money is coming from football betting, while others said it could be ritual money and the last group of persons seriously believed that “yahoo yahoo” business may be the source of the funds. As at press time last week, Umuaka Times could not lay claims on any reasonable conclusion with regards to the sources of funds recklessly spent to buy the bikes.
For now, the nuisance value, serious traffic offences and reckless driving constituted by the motorcycle boys through the use of their machines have several times attracted the attention of the police. Umuaka Times gathered that at several occasions, the police have arrested them with their machines and later released them same day after some negotiations.
There is a large speculation in the locality that this trend has in many ways, seriously affected the interest to pursue academic education by the youths in Umuaka community. Money. Money and money seem to be the only language the younger ones seem to understand for now. With their motorcycles that are almost brand new, plus some little cash at hand to spend, there is a deep scenario in the minds of the boys that they have arrived and no one will tell them any trash and get out with it. A woman whose son has a motorcycle lamented to Umuaka Times that she recently discovered that her son is into juju and drugs. As it affects this poor woman’s son, so it does to most of the boys who are obsessed by their motorcycles. Only time will tell according to Bob Marley.
