Members of the Joint Drivers’ Welfare Association of Nigeria( JIDWAN) in Lagos on Monday commenced a seven day strike over alleged excessive “extortion” by the state-controlled parks management committee headed by MC Oluomo.
Members of the association include commercial buses( Danfos), and mini-buses locally known as Korope began the strike leaving many commuters stranded on Lagos roads.
A drive around Ogba, Berger, Grammar School, Age areas show large crowds gathered at bus stops waiting for buses which seems not to be coming.
A few buses plying the routes have increased the transport fare.
While some commuters grudgingly paid the high fares to connect to their destinations, others took to trekking long distances.
In a statement, JDWAN’s lawyer, Ayo Ademiluyi lamented “excessive and illegal ticketing and tolling” at almost every bus stop in the state.
According to him, commercial bus drivers have been sentenced to extortion and violent harassment by MC Oluomo’s men.
“On a daily basis, we lose half of our income to the motor park boys. We pay exorbitant charges in the garages and at every bus stop where we drop off passengers, whether we pick up passengers or not, we pay morning, afternoon and night. Some routes have 25 bus stops which also serve as illegal tax collection avenues,” the statement partly read.
“When we resist the extortion, we get arrested and pay N10,000 for bail to the police while the motor park boys go scot free and we also have to bail our buses separately.
“Lagos drivers also pay for entertainment, security, unit chairman’s food and many other ridiculous levies with threat of violence at any slight refusal by the drivers. This is the exact case of the popular parlance on exploitation of labourers, “baboon dey work and monkey dey chop”.
“Lagos commercial drivers work like elephants and eat like ants while the urchins under the aegis of motor park workers take a large chunk of our earnings.
“We can hardly fulfill our contractual obligations with our business partners, feed our family or afford maintenance or repair of our vehicles,” the statement added.
The commercial bus drivers demanded that only Lagos State Government’s ticket should be the only ticket in Lagos.
“We kick against paying motor park thugs at every bus stop. All illegal money paid after we leave the garages and parks should be abolished immediately.
“Harassment of law enforcement agencies & intimidation with guns, cutlasses, and broken bottles by LASTMA (Lagos State Traffic Management Authority), task force and RRS (Rapid Response Squad) must end immediately.
“They collaborate and hire thugs to attack and extort us every day without violating any law.”
MC Oluomo was a former chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers but was fired by the NURTW National President, Tajudeen Baruwa, who appointed Fatai Adeshina, aka Akeweje, as the NURTW Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state.
He was however appointed Chairman of the Parks Management Committee in April 2022 by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
