THEY are all over the place, enforcers of the Lagos State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), collecting dues from commercial bus drivers, tricycle and motorcycle riders, and even from traders in bustling commercial centres like Idumota, Yaba and Oshodi markets, as has been their wont for many years.

The only difference, The ICIR observed, was that the enforcers, operating in a ruthless toll-collecting chain that winds to the top under the command of the suspended Lagos NURTW chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, widely known as MC Oluomo, were operating in mufti, rather than in the green-and-white uniform that they had become synonymous
with.

Some drivers our reporters spoke with on Monday who lamented they had suffered greatly from the jackboot manner the enforcers had been prising dues from them, regarded the continued dues collection by the Lagos NURTW as an affront to the Lagos State government.

The union’s headquarters said it issued Oluomo two queries on February 22, 2022, and March 3, 2022, to explain “the circumstances surrounding his untoward actions”, and to also show cause why disciplinary actions should not be taken against him for alleged acts
of insubordination.

Oluomo was said to have replied to the first query, which explanation the union considered “unsatisfactory”, while he “bluntly neglected/refused to respond to the second query.”

MC Oluomo had immediately reacted on the same day he was suspended with a statement announcing the break-away of the Lagos State chapter from the national body, citing section 40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, which entitles every person to freely assemble and associate with other persons.

He then called on the Lagos State government to take over the management of any garage or motor park where there is a crisis until the crisis is resolved by a consultative committee.

He also urged the Lagos State government to take over the running of the affairs of the union with the constitution of a Park Management Committee for motor garages and parks in the state.

As if hearkening to Oluomo’s charge, the Lagos State government, the same evening, announced it was suspending the activities of the NURTW in parks and garages in the state.

A statement from the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu ordered the NURTW to stop operating in all parks and garages in the 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,” Omotoso stated.
A week after the state government said it would “immediately” be constituting a committee to take control of the parks and garages, it is yet to do so.

What is, therefore, happening at the bus stops, parks, garages and even the markets, as seen by The ICIR reporters, is a discombobulation in activities as Lagos NURTW enforcers compete with officials of the state government saddled with the issuance of an N800 daily ticket to commercial bus drivers in the gathering of the humongous revenue that is generated from dues collections from commercial vehicle operators.

The ICIR eye-opening report
An official of the Lagos State government admitted that a well-researched report The ICIR published last year detailing the billions of naira that Oluomo and his Lagos NURTW were earning every day from their hoodlum-like operation of the parks, garages and bus stops awakened the government to how much the state government had been losing from what could have been revenue it rightly deserved.

Findings by this newspaper through oral testimonies and estimates obtained from more than 50 commercial bus drivers in 21 out of the 57 local governments and local council development authorities (LCDAs) in Lagos showed that each commercial vehicle driver pays, at least, N3,000 daily to the enforcers, widely known in the local parlance as agbero.

The ICIR’s estimates showed that the drivers pay an average of N225 million each day, N6.75 billion each month, and N82.125bn each year to the Lagos NURTW.

There are, at least, 50,000 commercial tricycles (keke Marwa) in Lagos, according to a 2020 report by Techcabal. With every commercial tricycle rider found to be paying, at least, N1,800 each to the agbero each day, the enforcers walk off with, at least, N90m from dues collected from the riders. Every month, the earnings could reach as high as N2.7bn, rising further to N32.85bn every year.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/nurtw-mc-oluomo-dares-lagos-govt-national-body-as-icir-report-stirs-reawakening-part-1/

Transport business is for serious minded people, if you can't pay tax then find another business

After all remitance are going to State and Local Government, only Federal Union transport body were boycottted for daring MC Oluomo's command in his Lagos State Jurisdiction


If Abokiis from Abuja still want to collect a percentage from Lagos State transport levy then let them come down their high horses and negotiate with MC Oluomo the Lagos State Transport workers Chairman and Sanwo-Olu the Lagos State Governor not trying to install rivals, and divide a portion for trycircle riders




.

This is the effect of having weak institutions and strong individuals instead of strong institutions.

Sanwo-Olu is weak

Can we borrow Wike for just 1 month in Lagos.

lwisee:
Sanwo-Olu is weak

Can we borrow Wike for just 1 month in Lagos.

don't let anybody deceive you both MC Oluomo, Sanwo Olu and BAT plan the whole thing together.

They all plan the whole thing together thing together

Bobloco:
This is the effect of having weak institutions and strong individuals instead of strong institutions.

Apart from having weak institution, I expect the Danfo Drivers to all refuse to pay any money.


Nigerians no dey fight for their right.

The Lagos State Government have suspended NURTW for now

No wonder many factions of the NURTW are killing themselves because of the corruption associated with these homogous returns.