SUNRISE NEWS, Lagos, July 18, 2020 The Nigeria Automobile Technician Association (NATA) an affiliate of the Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisation of Nigeria, (FIWON) has appealed to the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the stoppage of their eviction from the mechanic villages, which they claimed to have lawfully occupied.
The Lagos State Chairman of NATA, Asiwaju Jacob Fayeun, who made the appeal in Lagos, said that members had suffered a lot and were still suffering over continuous harassment by government agents.
According to him, the eviction, which has always followed a regular pattern with the latest being the Odo-Aladura Mechanic Village along the Power line Corridor/Canal Set-back at No.1, Jimade Close, Odo-Aladura, off Ladipo Road, Mushin.
“We are once again crying out against the unlawful, whimsical and oppressive eviction of mechanics from their work place by money bags colliding with officials of the ministry of transport employing the services of the police and armed thugs.
“Odo-Aladura Mechanic Village is one of 40 mechanic villages created along power lines and canal setbacks as a way of organising auto repair workers in sustainable work clusters, while decongesting the city of the scattered presence of auto workers.
“Indeed, in the past 20 years, over 40 mechanic villages, markets and other informal production have been taken over by private interests with active connivance of the Lagos State Government officials.
“We call on His Excellency, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene and arrest this ugly trend which tramples on the constitutional rights of Lagosians to legitimate pursuit of their livelihood.
“The trend has also rubbished several international covenants emphasising the need for informal workers to access public spaces to do their work and offer needed services to members of the public,”Fayeun said.
According to him, the allocation, control and management of all the Lagos State Government approved Mechanic Villages, including the Odo-Aladura Mechanic Village, Mushin are vested/ domiciled in and entirely placed under the Ministry of Transportation.
He added that the said land was permanently allocated to some of the members through the ministry on Dec. 16, 1993 upon fulfilment of all the government’s conditions and requirements.
Fayeun said that members, as responsible and law-abiding citizens, had been discharging their lawful obligations by the way of payment of ground rents, developments levies, taxes and other levies annually without default.
The chairman added that members had never contravened or breached any environmental laws, regulations, guidelines or any other law in course of doing business.
According to him, the development that resulted in the demolition, started in March, 2018 when some officials of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) visited the area claiming control over it.
He said that several letters to seek clarification and intervention from the ministry of transportation proved abortive, until workers were demanded to vacate the place within seven days by LSDPC to a client.
The chairman, who noted that the trend of eviction has always being for the super rich individuals, while thousands of NATA members were thrown away and left to suffer, added that the shock had killed some, while others were hit with various ailments.
He said that in 2017, Babs Animashaun Mechanic Village, Surulere was demolished, not for any over-riding public interest, but for hotel, warehouse, filling station and residential building, while 1000 of NATA members were left suffering.
Fayeun called on the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde to look at the plights of the helpless mechanics and protect their interest and livelihood in the state.
“We appeal that our members be allowed back to their place with all the seize vehicles and working tools returned to them immediately in the interest of justice and good order in Lagos.
“If this fails, we will continue to use all legitimate avenues to press for justice to be done,”he added.
Fayeun said that if mechanics were not wanted on road sides and they were still driven away from approved mechanic villages for the private interest, the informal sector was being destroyed.
He said that several members of the union had been subjected to all manners of harassment, arrest and inhuman treatment after being dislodged from their livelihood location.
Also speaking, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, the General Secretary, FIWON said it was the duty of government to provide space for the informal sector like mechanics, saying the current situation was traumatising.