The Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (Gafamorg) has condemned the alleged attack on members of the Lagos State Joint Drivers Welfare Association.
The drivers announced on Sunday that they would stop working on October 31st due to the state government’s inability to address extortion on the roads allegedly perpetrated by motor park and garage management in the state.
“Drivers and commuters have had a brimful of extortion and harassment from the motor park management and caretaker committee thugs popularly known as Agbero,” Abiodun Akintade, the national leader of JDWAN, said in a statement on Sunday.
Gafamorg in a solidarity message to JDWAN, called for an end to the “unjust levies” inflicted on Lagos commercial bus, taxi, and tricycle drivers.
The statement was signed by the group’s Chairman, Babatunde Agunbiade, and spokesperson, Akintunde Adedeji.
It asked the Lagos government to proscribe immediately the State Motor Parks and Garages Committee and take charge directly.
“Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (Gafamorg) is a foremost, pro masses, non-profit, nongovernmental organisation of friends, associates, comrades and rights activists, cutting across religious, ethnics divides with the core objectives of promoting the ideals, ideas and ideologies of Late Chief Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi (SAM, SAN).
“In view of the above, our organisation solidarises with the striking drivers under the aegis of Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN), who embarked on a seven-day strike, protesting massively the illegal extortion and violent harassment of their rank and file members, by Lagos State Motor Parks and Garages Committee led by Alhaji Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo.
“Gafamorg unequivocally condemn the unjust levies, indiscriminate multiple extortions, violent harassment of commercial drivers by the Lagos State Motor Parks and Garages Committee, in spite of their dedication to their work, while being subjected to untoward and unwarranted difficulties and hardship.
“JDWAN leadership and members as well had lamented over a period of time before finally down tooling, that cost of transportation affects cost of goods and services with multiplier effect on cost of living generally, thus spiralled astronomically out of control in Lagos State, as a result of the effect of motor parks and touts excessive and illegal ticketing or tolling, at almost every bus stop without commensurate benefits/developments, the levies or “revenues” generated for both drivers and commuters/passengers stands to enjoy.
“The lawlessness of the ranks and files members of Lagos State Motor Parks and Garages always has the backing and support of the Lagos State Government right from when they operated under the umbrella of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), a national union body, before being given additional power and leverage by the Lagos State government, through the State Assembly which makes it impossible for them to be reined in by the state government, despite the menace and terrors, unleash(ed) on drivers, doing their legitimate work.
“Based on the aforesaid in support of the ongoing mass action of the drivers, Gafamorg calls on the Lagos state government through the state assembly to do the following: Proscribe immediately the Lagos State Motor Parks and Garages Committee and take charge directly.
“Create and makes laws to protect the interests of Drivers and Commuters/Passengers, to guarantee their safety and protection as well; regulate the payment of drivers state ticket/government levies or dues, from the point of loading passengers via a system to be captured by government officials, thereby several street urchins and touts that constitute nuisance at every bus stops and our roads generally will be outlawed and obliterated finally.
“Moneys generated through drivers levies and dues by the state government should be deployed to rehabilitation/reconstruction of bad roads that dot the landscape and littered Lagos state, to serve as dividends of democracy/ service to drivers, commuters and the citizens at large; by extension reduce to the barest minimum traffic jam and gridlocks that has become unique feature of Lagos.
“Lagos state government should fix a flat rate as levies and dues, to eliminate multiple extortions foisted on drivers by the touts and street urchins, parading themselves as Parks and Garages members who have turned themselves into demi-god on our roads with the acquiescence of their leaders.
“Finally, Lagos state should urgently and immediately listen to the agitations of the striking drivers, accede to their demands without any further delay to save the citizens from further compound hardship and to be seen as responsible and responsive government.”