E-Hailing drivers warn unregistered members over impersonation
...distances self from fake PRO
THE National President, Professional E-Hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association of Nigeria (PEDPAN), Comrade Idris Sonuga has warned unregistered members of the association to distance self from impersonation and desist from disseminating false information against the union to the public.
He disclosed this in Lagos, at a press briefing on welfare, ethics, rules and regulations of the association in the state.
The president urged members to be focused and obey ethics and conduct of E-Hailing profession in attaining it’s goals adding that anyone found indulging in any act contrary to the rules of the association would be prosecuted according to the law.
He said, “We received with greatest shock a news story published by International Center for Investigative Reporting(ICIR) about one Joseph Olawale who claimed to be a Public Relations Officer (PRO) for PEDPAN and an unverifiable Union with the acronym called “NUPADW”.
“Joseph Olawale is no longer a member of PEDPA,,” he said.
According to the National president, Olawale was disciplined a year ago, by the Union’s Disciplinary Committee for a gross misconduct which led to his being relieved of all his responsibilities after which he was excommunicated.
According to the National President, PEDPAN is a registered Union with the Coperate Affairs Commission (CAC) and dully affiliated with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), currently at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to be registered as a trade union.
He added that PEDPA is an organised union with administrative structures in different local governments in over 20 states of the federation.
“Our members are well profiled and they hold weekly meetings in their various Local government branches of PEDPA establishment to discuss collective challenges and proffer solution.
“PEDPAN held State council meetings and National council meetings and the said Joseph Olawale has never been identified in all these meetings as an executive members let alone being a PRO of the Union.
How can such personality be speaking on behalf of the union that he knows nothing about.
“If ICIR is indeed an investigative reporting media outfit, we expected her to get facts and verify his claim before publishing,” he said.
The national president said NUPADW is not representing the interest of the E-Hailing drivers in anyway and PEDPAN cannot stoop so low to an ineffective union to discuss about the rights of over 100,000 E-Hailing Drivers in Nigeria.
“PEDPA have over 55,000 E-Hailing Drivers registered with PEDPA administrative portal and we discussed with our members before we speak for them.
However, In view of the forgoing, We hereby disclaim this news, because it is unfounded, defamatory, unprofessional and being built up by some unscrupulous element.
We demand for the news to be pulled down immediately without further delay and an unreserved apology tendered to PEDPA for this error by ICRI and NUPADW.
The National president warns that the union will not hesitate to sue those behind such a defamatory and unprofessional story.
*I AM A BONA-FIDE PIONEER MEMBER OF PEDPA, DISREGARD IDRIS OLUWASEUN LIES*
Attention of comrade Joseph olawale has been drawn to a misinformation and defamatory publication granted by self acclaimed PEDPA president in person’s of comrade idris oluwaseun shonuga to an online news media outfit newsconnectonline.wordpress.com, reportesdiary.com.ng, citizenscompassngr.com and others on 2021/12/30
This mischievous press release titled PEDPA PRESIDENT WARN UNREGISTERED MEMBER OVER IMPERSONATION and claimed “We recieved with greatest shock a News published by International Center for Investigative Reporting(ICIR) about one Joseph Olawale who claimed to be public Relation Officer (PRO) for PEDPAN and an unverifiable Union called NUPADW. “ Joseph Olawale is no longer a member of PEDPA,,” he said.
In the interest of general public and all e-hailing drivers community in solidarity with me over this barbarian displayed of leadership deficiency and uncomradship behaviour by a supposed leader of Professional e-hailing drivers and private-owner association PEDPA I wish to state as follow.
That comrade Joseph Olawale is a bona-fide pioneer member and the first ever Appointed National Publicity secretary till date so the claimed by idris oluwaseun shonuga stating that Joseph olawale is unregistered member or that his no longer a member is a misplaced of priority, tantamount to attempt to deceive member of the public which can not pass a verifiable test of PEDPA undoctored registered where my name is number 17th among the first members who donatated 10,000 and the third pioneer member to made donation of 100,000 ( one hundred thousand naira) after idris oluwaseun and comrade adegoke adelakun, I am one of the foremost pioneer to registered on PEDPA website and possess original PEDPA Pioneer ID card.
I am a pioneer financial member of PEDPA who also made donations of a 100,000 (one Hundred Thousand naira) into PEDPA access bank account as PEDPA Pioneer investment incentive which was partly used for the registration and promotion of the association, development of the association website as well as the development of partly own ride sharing app.
As a national publicity secretary of PEDPA I was part of the initiative that birth the maiden PEDPA press conference and I jointly anchored the event along side Mr sunday of mitv, I was the man that wrote over 60% of the speech that was read on that occasion by idris oluwaseun shonuga, I have granted press interview to several new men in both print and electronics media, here is a live interview with myself and Jolaiya moses the appointed vice President of PEDPA
https://youtu.be/e2cQL3X21G8 I have accompanied idris to both radio and television programmes as the national Publicity secretary.
I have served the association intellectually, morally and financially in many capacity in the building up of the association from begining till date and the records is there for confirmation that I served as a member of PEDPA first ever constitution drawing up and review committee, myself and one other comrade was the one that wrote the first welcome note on PEDPA website and I participated actively in the drawing of designs for partly own ride sharing app, where I lead the testing group and work on feedback with developer, I was very active in all PEDPA street campaign and drivers mobilisation and I was one of the co-ordinator for PEDPA first ever strike in 2019 and i participated in the 2021 strike as well.
Comrade Joseph olawale as the national Publicity secretary issued a press release April 2020 for immediate release of comrade idris oluwaseun, comrade jolaiya moses and Comrade Paul umukoro after they were arrested due to the strike in April 2020, I was part of the first day visit to panti with the TUC General secretary and the TUC lagos chapter chairman seeking their immediate release which was achieved the second day..
Contrary to claimed, According to the the National president, Olawale was disciplined over a year by the Union’s Disciplinary Committee for a gross misconduct which led to his being relieved of all his responsibilities and infact Excommunicated as a matter of fact. It was Comrade idris oluwaseun shonuga that was petitioned by pioneer members of the association on the ground of abuse of excutive power, gross misconduct, intimidation and fighting pioneers member, mismanagement of the association fund and violation of PEDPA constitution by suspending activities of National executive Council (NEC) till date, it was base on my participation in the petition for transparency and accountability that idris shonuga setup a committee headed by jolaiya moses who was an indicted party in the petition and I was not given fair hearing at the time and at the same time the national executive Council (NEC) who by our constitution supposed to recieved the committee report was suspended till date by idris oluwaseun shonuga abuse of power and Jolaiya moses who was also indicted in the petition and became a judge in his own case and tried to implement his verdict against me contrary to our constitution stipulation that such report be forwarded to the NEC for consideration.
The Reconciliation committee that was setup by Pioneers elders, headed by comrade elder blackson ACI, comrade elder adegoke adelakun made their recommendation that every pioneers member unjustly removed be added back like Comrade Williams brown, Anthony okoye, Emmanuel David, Adegboyegba Temitope, Andrew nwanchukwu, Godfrey, usoro and many others but idris disregarded this recommendation and continue to run the association as a personal belonging and mismanaging the association fund and remove every pioneer member that question his abuse of power.
My interviewed with international center for Investigative Reporting icirnigeria.org https://www.icirnigeria.org/drivers-happy-as-lawmakers-plan-uber-bolt-probe/ was done without biases, fear or favour but represent the true state of the situation that all e-hailing drivers in Nigeria are passing through in the hand of the app companies and on learning that National house of representative is willing to look into the activities of our industry, I saw it as a welcome idear as long as the house will avail drivers representatives to participate in the public hearing and present them with the reality of the industry in other to profers lasting solutions to the challenge of e-hailing drivers without focusing on taxation and the revenue alone, and if the reporters addressed me as PEDPA PRO as usual then I don’t really think or expect that PEDPA president comrade idris oluwaseun shonuga can in anyway justify his leadership deficiency by attempting to bring the organisation or a reporter to disrepute eventhough at one time or the other has done report on PEDPA activities in a good light and addressed comrade Joseph olawale as PRO in such occasion.
I want every member of the public and e-hailing drivers community to disregard idris oluwaseun shonuga publication claimed against me and regard it as a mere weakness of leadership incapabilities on his part and I demand immediate retraction and apology via all the channels where this defamatory press release was posted else legal action will be considere although the recent move by PEDPA exco to bring him to accountability has vindicate most of the pioneers that previously challenge his corrupt and dictatorial practise.
I call on idris oluwaseun shonuga to immidately account for over 5million naira donated by PEDPA pioneers members and allowed the association run as pressure group rather than seeing it as political wheel evidence in all his action and lack of understanding and practice of unionism in accordance with Nigeria labour law, industrial relation practice and all international labour organisation charters.
I am sure that every right thinking member of public and e-hailing driver community will agree with me that idris leadership incompetence, displayed of selfishness and arrogance will not change anytime soon and e-hailing driver community will suffer, if resistance effort is not made, most especially at this time when drivers are in need of a strong force and synergy to represent their interest and champion their welfare.
Unionism is all about solidarity and comradeship but idris oluwaseun shonuga the president of PEDPA lack this understanding in totality and am using this opportunity to call on TUC and any international labour body that may have anything to do with him to take caution as some of his action is suspicious and capable of bringing them into disrepute if not checked
Solidarity forever.
Comrade Joseph olawale.
Attention Comrade Joseph Olawale:
Please, leave Citizens Compass out of your feud.
We are professional journalists with about 30 years of experience and have been discharging our duties without bias.
The story you were referring to was a press statement which we treated professionally.
How come you were approaching us derrogatively ?
I expected you to approach us professionally for your own side of the story without threatening us with a court action.
If you think heading to court is the best way, then go ahead but be it known to you that Citizens Compass is a professional site with a seasoned legal team to handle issues like these.
We are for peace provided you are.
Thank you.
Signed
Citizens Compass