NURTW Oppressing Us – Tricycle Operators
The Lagos State chapter of the Tricycles Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria has stated that its members are being harassed by the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
The Lagos State chairman of TOOAN, Azeez Abiola, said tricycles owners and operators were not under the NURTW Lagos chapter, but an affiliate body to the national transport association.
According to Abiola, TOOAN had previously operated independently without any issue in Lagos. He added that the NURTW hijacked their activities within the state.
“We appeal to the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to intervene in the case and save the tricycle operators across the state from the torment of MC Oluomo.
“The issue is that we have been a separate body before now, that was since 1998 when tricycle was introduced in the country. But after some time, we had some issues and that led to the Ministry of Transportation inviting us and that was 11 years ago.
“And after the meeting with the commissioner, we were directed to affiliate ourselves to the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria but our activities will still be controlled by ourselves. And we should pay dues to them; we have been doing this for years without any rancour.”
Abiola further said that when Akinsanya was inaugurated as the NURTW Lagos chairman, he invited them, dissolved the TOOAN executives and took over the parks.
“We complained that this was not how it should be done but he turned down our complaints. And after hijacking the union, he divided it into five sections and brought non-members into TOOAN,” he said.
