By Olanrewaju Adesanya
The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party PDP has flayed the All Progressives Congress led administration of the state over alleged extortion of commuters and transport operators, which has provoked a strike action in the sector.
In a statement signed by the Lagos State PDP Publicity Secretary Hon Hakeem Amode, the recent transition of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to the Lagos State Parks Management Authority was fingered as the foundation of oppression of the people of Lagos state.
According to the state’s spokesman for the party-Amode, “a clear example of the offshoot of the nonchalant attitude of the imperialism in governance been experienced in the state today is inimical to the development of our youth.
“The government’s failure in education and youth development sectors had driven a lot of our youth to scavenge for daily collection of fares from transport operators.
“The recent promulgation of the State Parks Management Authority bill gives credence and legitimacy to this heinous act.
“The agony of transport operators in the state who daily paid between N7,500 and N2,500 (seven thousand five hundred and two thousand five hundred) can only be imagined and a heart of empathy extended to them.
“There are daily records of deaths and injuries owing to enforcement of these obnoxious rates and levies collection and the dehumanizing nature of the enforcers is best imagined.
The party however, sympathised with the direct victims of the saddening development(transport operators), while persuading them to reconsider their stance given the fact that the innocent commuters are worse off due to the strike action they have embarked upon.
“We sympathize with the Lagos state transport operators on their strike actions and urge them to consider the plight of ordinary commuters in Lagos who also bear the brunt of their agitation through the exorbitant transport fares which have eaten deep into their salary.
“We urge them to come up with an acceptable condition of operation and dialogue with the APC government to find a mutually beneficial position that would not put the people of the state in more agony.
“We promise the transport operators in Lagos state that the government of the People’s Democratic Party -PDP under the leadership of Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran-JANDOR and Funke Akindele as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively, will do everything possible to ensure that the era of multiple taxation and collection of illegal dues on the road becomes a thing of the past.
“The focus of the government of Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran-JANDOR will be to channel the energy of our youth to Education, Sports, Technology, and Community services and to make street urchins unacceptable in our community thereby putting an end to “Agbero” in the city of Lagos.
“We appeal to the government of the state to respect the spirit of unionism and protection of interest of members of the commercial transport operators’ group,
“By respecting their opinions and considering their agitation to avoid chaos in an already tense city where poverty is currently fueling aggravation.”