CITIZENS COMPASS– SOME garage touts have attacked a commercial driver and vandalised his vehicles for refusal to pay N500 illegal fee as stipulated by Lagos State Parks and Garage Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya popularlly known as MC Oluomo.
This is just as 50 unpainted buses belonging to members of Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN).
Recall that the drivers embarked on seven days industrial action over extortion and harassment by garage touts though the strike was suspended when the state government dialogued with them.
The victim, Samson Adewunmi is currently in coma at a Lagos hospital.
The incident occured on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at Volks bus-stop, along Lagos/Badagry Expressway when Samson was on his way to Mile 2 at about 7am.
His attackers were said to have stopped him and demand the sum of N500 being one of the levies by the parks and Garages committee.
However, he bluntantly refused cooperation with them and this led to him being beaten up and attacked with sticks and machets by his attackers.
The attack left Samson with deep cuts and he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is currently in coma.
In a chat with our correspondent, Comrade Abiodun Akintade, National Leader, Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN), said over 50 buses belonging to members of the association were impounded by Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), on Wednesday, due to the recent policy by the state government that all commercial buses be painted in Yellow with White stripes or Red colour.
He said despite the dialogue with the state government, the
commercial drivers are violently attacked by garage touts.
“While we await the lagos state to fulfill its promises to stop extortion and violent attack on commercial drivers after the recent drivers strike. Yesterday, 8th of November , 2022, one of our members, a Mazda bus driver named Samson Adewunmi was attacked at Volks bus stop by Lagos State caretaker committee formerly known as RTEAN on his way to Mile 2, around 7am, over N500 extortion.
“His windscreen was broken, he was beaten and macheted, which left two deep gashes on his head, currently in coma at the hospital and we hope he survives it.
“This morning, Wednesday 9th of November 2022, Lagos state traffic management authority (LASTMA) arrested over 50 of our buses because of the new yellow bus policy which came to public notice three days ago.
“We wonder if this is part of the new transport reform or Lagos commercial drivers demands during the seven days strike.
“Where will drivers suddenly get money to paint their buses amidst the current extortion and violent attacks in Lagos?
“Could it be that the drivers demands must have irked the state government so much that its first line of action is remembering an expensive law that would further increase the sufferings of drivers and commuters in Lagos?
“Without the extortion and violence, painting a bus in three days would have been feasible for drivers.
“A sensitive government would have given three some months notice before implementing such law that would cost drivers about N200,000 to comply with.
“We implore Lagos state government to quickly accede to the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) demands.
“Arrest and publicly prosecute the violent agberos that attack us daily, stop the extortion at every bus stop and give the poor drivers some time, at least three months notice to paint their buses.” He added.
