Members of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) have called off their industrial action over alleged indiscriminate extortion and violent harassment.
The announcement was made yesterday by the association National Leader, Abiodun Akintade, Chairman, Opeyemi Sulaiman, and General Secretary, Ajimatanarareje Feyisayo, at the secretariat of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management, Agege.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that JDWAN members had embarked on a seven-day warning strike last Monday against the alleged extortion by officials of the Lagos State Park and Garages Management.
They complained about the nefarious activities of boys that demanded money from them at every bus stop, extortion by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force) and Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
According to them, Taskforce officials collect as much as N150,000 whenever any of their vehicles was impounded and accused union leaders of neglecting them to their fate anytime security agency arrest them.
Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo) has set up a taskforce team comprising 10 branch chairmen, nine members of the JDWAN and others nominees from the Chairman of Committee of Lagos State Parks Administration, Oba Sulaiman Adeshina-Ashade, the Oniba of Iba, to rid the bus stops of the offending boys.
Akinsanya said the Taskforce has a month ultimatum to clear the mess.
He promised to liaise with the state Commissioner for Transportation and Special Adviser on Transportation to nip the illegal activities of the LASTMA and Taskforce in the bud.
According to him, the highest fine for any erring commercial bus operator is N20,000, describing the N150,000 fine as unacceptable.
“All what you complained about are true and we’ll start addressing now. We want to see changes within a month. Once the Taskforce we set up here concluded their assignment on Lagos-Badagry Expressway, they will move to Ikorodu Road. My administration will not allow any bus driver to suffer. They work hard and should enjoy their wealth derived from their sweat,” he said.
Akinsanya urged the branch chairmen to lift up to expectation by looking after the welfare of their members.
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