With the crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Lagos State, thousands of drivers of commercial buses known as danfo have been wondering whether they would continue paying levies to the union or have some days break.
Our correspondent spoke with all factions involved in the crisis both at the state and national levels as well as the Lagos State Government to establish the reality.
Background
The PUNCH had reported that the national body of the union on Thursday suspended its Lagos State chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, following weeks of protracted conflict and leadership tussle.
The national body had accused Akinsanya of resorting to intimidation, harassment, and assault on the newly-appointed Chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, Azeez Abiola, aka Istijabah but Akinsanya refuted the claim that he instigated members of the union to assault Abiola.
He, however, noted that the legality of the TOOAN operations in the state is a subject of a suit pending before the National Industrial Court.
Subsequently, the NURTW national body in Abuja on Thursday announced the indefinite suspension of Akinsanya for gross misconduct and directed him to hand over the union organs to his deputy.
Hours later, Akinsanya at a press conference at the NURTW Secretariat in the Agege area of the Lagos, announced his withdrawal and that of lieutenants from the union.
He also asked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take over the running of all parks and garages in the state till peace returned to the union.
Akinsanya said, “In view of this and the crisis at hand, Lagos State Government is hereby invited to consider its white paper on Transport Union activities, 2004 section 5C, which states that the Government should take over the management of any garage or motor park where there is a crisis until such is resolved by the consultative committee.
“We hereby call on Lagos State Government to take over the running of the affairs of the Union with the Constitution of a Park Management Committee for Motor Garages and parks in the state, thereby ensuring peace and tranquility, pending the determination of the matter in the interest of the good people of Lagos State.”
Respite for commercial drivers?
The operations of the NURTW have been despised for years by Lagosians and social commentators. Clad in grimy white tops and green trousers, NURTW operatives locally called agberos are notorious for harassing, intimidating and forcibly collecting levies from commercial bus drivers at parks, garages and bus stops, leading to occasional fights, indecent of the ‘megacity’ aspiration of Lagos.
According to a 2021 report by the International Centre for Investigative Report, the Lagos chapter of NURTW generates about N123.08bn annually, which could service the annual budget of Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states put together.
Aside from other extortioners on Lagos roads including corrupt security agents, NURTW operatives are the bane of commercial drivers, with many transporters lamenting that they milk them dry by collecting tolls at every bus stop.
Asked on Thursday whether the crisis and the withdrawal of his principal would mean that commercial drivers would not pay dues in the interim, Akinsanya’s spokesman, Jimoh Buhari, told The PUNCH that the situation does not affect toll collection.
He said, “Toll collection continues in Lagos. We are still operational in Lagos, we only dissociated from the national body. It is now left for the state government to decide on the park management system recommended by my boss (Akinsanya). The park management is in Oyo, Osun and other places. Our men are out there doing their job; it is the state executive that has challenges, not the local government areas.”
Also, NURTW National Public Relations Officer, Chukwudi Asogwa, told our correspondent that levy collection won’t stop in Lagos State despite the crisis, adding that the national body was clear that Akinsanya’s deputy to take over affairs of the union in the state.
“It is the normal thing. The union is still operational. We have the branches, it is not the state chairman that collects levies,” Asogwa said.
When contacted on Thursday, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, declined comments on the development.
“We are going to issue a statement this evening on the matter,” Omotoso said.
Also, calls made by our correspondent to drivers and commuters in Lagos as of press time revealed that NURTW foot soldiers are still operating like no man’s business.
VERDICT: Available evidence agree that drivers of commercial buses known as danfo are still paying NURTW dues in Lagos as of 7pm on March 10, 2022.
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