The Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN), which represents the striking commercial drivers in Lagos, claims that the unresolved issues that prompted the strike have not yet been addressed.
The group also claimed that the Lagos State government had detained and taken some of its members to court for participating in the strike in a statement released by its National President, Comrade Abiodun Akintade, and obtained by SaharaReporters on Sunday.
The state government, referred to by the organization as “Agberos,” allegedly denied knowledge of any extortion or intimidation of commercial drivers.
However, JDWAN said that it would take a week off from the strike and restart it on Monday, November 14.
Since last Monday, the drivers have stopped using the parks and garages in the state as well as those affiliated with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, alleging that these parties have been extorting their members (RTEAN).
Even though there have been discussions between JDWAN executives and state government officials, the group said after a week that the problems have not been resolved and that no assurances have been given by the state government.
According to the statement from Friday, “JDWAN leadership met with Abdulhafiz Toriola, permanent secretary, Ministry of Transport, who denied that the government was aware of any extortion or harassment by agberos, which is, to put it mildly, ludicrous.”
The chairman of the Lagos Park and Garages Management, MC Oluomo, the mastermind of the unlawful and violent extortion racket in Lagos, was referred to by the permanent secretary, according to JDWAN’s statement.
JDWAN described how the meeting went, saying, “As we were in the meeting at the Ministry of Transport, Alausa secretariat, one of the drivers who had been detained at Alafia Orile, Onyebuchi Michael, was being arraigned at Tinubu Magistrate Court, TBS, Victoria Island, for complying with the drivers’ strike, while Ibrahim Adisa and Felix Eze were transferred from Area K Command, Oko Afo to Onikan Zone
“The state government sings blues during the meeting and in the press media, but thereafter, they blast loud heavy metal rock in our ears.
“Commercial drivers in Lagos are not stupid, and they will not tolerate violations of their fellow drivers’ freedom and rights.
“The blatant daily extortion in Lagos was rejected by the state administration, and the harassment and violence of commercial drivers by LASTMA (Lagos State Traffic Management Authority), task force, and Nigerian police were also denied. Nothing has been fixed, and no promises have been made.
“MC Oluomo is busy, therefore he might not be present for the arranged meeting, the government excused, while simultaneously referring us back to their hired goons and proposing another meeting.
We have chosen to take a week off after the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria’s congress and observe how the state’s crisis will develop on Monday.
“We demand unity in the Tinubu Magistrate Court (TBS, Victoria Island), where our members are facing criminal charges for supporting the commercial drivers’ sit-at-home strike, and at the simultaneous meeting at the Alausa secretariat, where all Lagosians are invited to attend.
The Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria is unfazed and will resume the strike on Monday, November 14, 2022, if our members are not immediately and unconditionally released and the state does not comply with the court’s ruling.
