“We Work Like Elephants, Eat Like Ants”: Lagos Commercial Drivers Laments

Remember last month when Lagos commercial drivers when on strike? Well, the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria members have called off their industrial action strike.

The announcement was made by its National Leader, Abiodun Akintade; Chairman, Opeyemi Sulaiman and General Secretary, Ajimatanarareje Feyisayo, at the secretariat of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Management, Agege.

They all lamented the continuous activities of boys who demanded money from them at every bus stop.

According to the trio, there are about 25 bus stops between Badagry and Alaba in Orile where the boys station to collect money, which they said rips them off their daily earnings.

While lamenting, the group said, “we are working like an elephant and eating like an ant. We appeal to you to look into this.”

The group also complained bitterly about 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 collected as much as ₦‎150,000 thousand for each vehicle whenever any of their buses were seized.

They also stated that union leaders in the parks always leave them to their fate anytime security agencies arrest them.

The aggrieved bus drivers stated, “our branch chairmen are not looking after our welfare and abandon us whenever security officials arrest us. This should not be the case with all the dues they collect from us.”

The Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages Management Alhaji Musiliu Akisanya (aka MC Oluomo), immediately set up a task force team comprising 10 branch chairmen, nine members of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria, and other 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 those boys extorting drivers.

According to Akinsanya, 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 curb the growing illegal activities of the LASTMA and Taskforce.

According to him, the highest fine for any erring commercial bus operator is ₦‎20,000 thousand, and he described ₦‎150,000 thousand as unacceptable.

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He added, “all that you complained about are true, and we’ll start addressing them now. We want to see changes within a month. Once the Taskforce we set up here concludes 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 also urged all the branch chairmen to live up to the expectation by looking after the welfare of their members.