Following the suspension of the chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musiliu Akinsanya, alias MC Oluomo, by the national body, there has been palpable fear that the disagreement between the two parties could degenerate into a major fracas among members.
It was not surprising therefore to residents that the state government announced the suspension of the activities of NURTW in all motor parks and garages.
Beyond the suspension, however, many residents and transporters, who had reservations with the activities of the NURTW, see the ongoing crisis as an opportunity for the state government to reform and sanitise the operation of transport unions.
The suspension of the union activities followed the request by Akinsanya that the Lagos State government should take over the management of the parks and garages by setting up Park Management Committee.
In announcing the suspension, the state government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said a committee would be set up to manage the parks and garages with critical stakeholders in the sector appointed as members.
Omotoso said: “The Lagos State government has been watching closely events in the NURTW. There have been claims and counter claims over the control of the union. The government has a duty to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Lagosians and visitors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to douse the unnecessary tension generated by the leadership tussle in the NURTW and protect the citizenry from the likely fallout of the situation.
“After considering the provisions of the law, the government hereby suspends the activities of NURTW, which must cease to operate in all parks and garages in Lagos State. The government will set up a committee to immediately take control of the parks and garages. Members of the committee will be key stakeholders in the sector. The government’s position is premised on its responsibility to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in all parks and garages in Lagos State.”
Earlier, after rising from a meeting at the state secretariat in Agege, the suspended state chairman had announced the withdrawal of the state chapter from the national body, stating that all attempts to have an amicable resolution to the crisis with the national body failed.
The apex NURTW body had suspended Akinsanya through a letter by the NURTW General Secretary, Kabiru Yau, accusing him of planning to instigate mayhem in the union branches that fail to obey his instructions. Akinsanya was asked to hand over the leadership of the Lagos chapter to his deputy.
The statement read in part: “This is to convey to you that in line with Article 42 section 5, subsection I, II, III, IV, V, and VIII of the union’s constitution, you have been placed on indefinite suspension from office as State Chairman of Lagos State Council of NURTW with effect from March 9, 2021.
“Your suspension is the sequel to sustained acts of insubordination and gross misconduct coupled with your clandestine plans to instigate crisis and unleash mayhem on any branch or branches of the union in Lagos state that refuses to obey your order or instructions not to accept directives from the national headquarters of the Union.
“It is on record that you were earlier issued with queries on 25th of February 2022 and 3rd of March, 2022 respectively in which you were directed to explain the circumstances surrounding your untoward actions and to also show cause why disciplinary actions should not be taken against you for such acts of insubordination.”
Before the suspension letter, the NURTW national body appointed a state chairman for the Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), in person of Alhaji Azeez Abiola, popularly known as Istijaba, which was rejected by the suspended state chairman, who preferred TOOAN having five zones across the state with each reporting to him. Despite the national union prevailing on him to toe the line of the apex body, he rejected.
After Akinsanya received two queries from the apex union, some members loyal to the suspended state chairman protested to Lagos House Marina last Sunday to plead with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene, especially to call the national president to order.
Some insiders, however, felt that at the centre of the entire crisis is the humongous illegal proceeds that the transport unions make daily. A recent report revealed that about N123b is generated yearly by transport unions in the state, with a huge part ending up with the union leaders.
Despite the suspension of NURTW activities across parks and garages by the state government, many foot soldiers of the union were sighted, on Friday, across different parts of the city still operating, collecting dues from transporters.
From First Gate to Mile 2, Suru, Alaba, Orile, Mushin to Agege, among other locations, the union officers were still harassing commercial bus drivers to pay dues. Many were fully kitted in the union uniform while some others wore caps, apron or a material with NURTW name or logo.
This was also in defiance to the earlier pronouncement by the suspended acting state Chairman, Akinsanya popularly called MC Oluomo, who said that the Lagos NURTW was pulling out of the national body.
Speaking on the suspension of the NURTW activities in the state, Self-Employed Commercial Drivers Association of Nigeria (SECDAN) said it is a good development, but the state should take it a step further by going to the state assembly to enact a law to outlaw the activities of the two major transport unions in the state, NURTW and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
The President of the group, Pastor Olatunji Oladipupo, maintained that transport unions in the state are operating illegally and there are grounds for the state government to outlaw them. According to him, aside the many atrocities being committed by members of the transport unions, and the pains they inflict on transporters and commuters, the unions are operating illegally, as they have no business collecting dues from majority of transporters, since they are self employed not employees.
According to Oladipupo, commercial drivers in Lagos State are majorly self-employed who should be liaising with Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) and not interacting with transport unions.
A commercial driver, John Okechukwu said transporters would be grateful if the state government takes transport unions off Lagos roads. “They are milking us dry daily. We toil day and night, yet we cannot send our children to a good private school. But those called agberos, who operate as transport union officers send their children to the best of schools in the United States of America. By 4am, I am up and will not return home till 11pm most times, yet I struggle to feed my family adequately. This is because most of my profit is taken away as dues to unions.”
Okechukwu said the huge some of money the unions collect daily is not receipted. When it is, the value of the receipt given is nothing compared to the amount paid.
“You could pay as much as N3000 and you get a receipt of N100. The mode of operation is barbaric. My conductor and I have been beaten over dues for not paying enough demanded by the union officers. And the commuters bear part of the burden. This is because, in most cases, the drivers will be left with no option than to transfer part of the dues paid to the fare to be paid by passengers.”
Another commercial driver, Taiwo Kamoru, said when Akinsanya came in as chairman, he compounded the pains of commercial drivers because he divided branches into two, which means sometimes drivers pay twice to the same union within a locality. “This is aside what commercial drivers pay to NURTW and RTEAN, yet I cannot remember joining any of the unions. Also, I cannot tell NURTW officers that I belong to RTEAN. Thus, I cannot pay dues to NURTW, if I dare that I will not only get beaten, but also a part of my vehicle would be damaged or removed.
“We pay so much more to the unions, but get nothing back from the unions. Many of us cannot service our vehicles regularly because nothing is left daily. This partly explains why the transporters drive rickety vehicles across Lagos roads. Government that should help us, looks other way, only to unleash traffic officers and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) on us to further compound our plight,” Kamoru said.
Meanwhile, the Vice President (VP) of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, former National Trustee, Alhaji Alamu Otegbeye, other past and present union leaders, have thrown their weights behind the decision of the Lagos Council Chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (aka) MC Oluomo and members of the state union to withdraw their membership from the national body. Agbede accused the national secretariat of creating problems in the Lagos State Council by meddling into its affairs.
Agbede said: “The constitution allows the state council to run its affairs. It is the state secretary’s duty to report the state’s official monthly activities to the national secretariat. But, this regime led by Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, as president, wants to know and oversee how Lagos State is run. The president has no business in inauguration of branches and zones.”
Agbede, the immediate past Chairman of the Lagos State Council, said tricycle and motorcycle operators were under the state council.
“On the issue of Tricycle Owners’ and Operators’ Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), the state chairman has the right to divide the TOOAN of NURTW into zones. I did similar thing during my tenure to commercial motorcyclists’ union otherwise called Motorcycle Operators’ Association of Lagos State (MOALS). It was one body under Tijani Pekis. I divided it into zones without any interference from the national headquarters. It is within the state Chairman’s power to create, divide and expand to enhance administrative convenience,” Agbede said.
He accused Baruwa of neglecting the structures of the union conducting his official duties.
“I am the national vice president in-charge of Southwest. But the headquarters doesn’t involve me in any issue in my zone. It is not appropriate. Let us learn to do things aright. The president should let the state council be. Whatever information he needs should be given to him by the state secretary,” he stated.
Otegbeye, who is also Special Adviser to National President, said leaders of the union wouldn’t allow Baruwa to destabilise the state council. He promised to join other leaders to expel anyone hobnobbing with Baruwa to destroy the Lagos State Council.
Former National Head of Women Affairs, Bola Lemboye said the elders were backing Akinsanya’s action.
“We don’t want crisis in Lagos State. We won’t allow what happened in Ogun State to repeat itself in Lagos. We are peaceful people,” she said.
The pioneer NURTW Chairman in Lagos State, Samuel Jonah, urged Baruwa to be guided by the union’s constitution in his action.
Jonah described the national body’s action as unfortunate. According to him, Akinsanya’s administration has been peaceful since coming on board.
Former NURTW Lagos State Council Chairman, Alhaji Alao Adewuyi accused Baruwa of not respecting elders in the union.
Adewuyi warned those fraternising with him to destabilise Lagos to desist or face the music.
“We cannot allow a peaceful atmosphere we’re enjoying now to be truncated because of some people’s selfish agenda. We support actions taken by Akinsanya and members of the state union,” he said.
Senior Special Adviser to National Present, Stephen Falusi said he was surprised by Baruwa’s action.
“We’re not fighting the national body. We only want those in Abuja to abide by the union’s constitution and stop creating crisis. We, the elders, are with Akinsanya on this matter. This association is too big to be rubbished by anyone. We have graduates and educated people among us. We can’t run it like a lawless organisation. We are disappointed in the national body’s actions,” Falusi said.
