Commercial banks in some parts of Ibadan, yesterday,
hurriedly shut their gates to prevent invasion by hoodlums who might capitalize
on the protest by members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW,
over alleged extortion by their union leaders.
The protest, which
started at Sango-Ojoo Road, later spread to other parts of the city, compelling
several commuters, including workers in the private and public sectors, to
resort to trekking to their places of work.
During the protest,
several commercial vehicles were vandalized.
Vanguard gathered that the drivers
had long been complaining about excesses of their leaders, who wait at every
bus stop to extort outrageous levies.
Destruction
At the University of
Ibadan axis, windscreens of vehicles of some of their colleagues in the union,
who did not heed their calls to withdraw their services, were broken and the
occupants, except passengers, were severely beaten.
Dissidents among them
were forced to drop their passengers.
They also caused stampede
in some parts of the city, especially at the Veterinary Hospital, Mokola, where
there was a minor accident.
Motorists also had a
hectic time as they were held up in traffic gridlock for hours.
The protest brought out
policemen and men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who manned
strategic points to ensure it does not degenerate further.
They patrolled the city
with blaring sirens, urging the aggrieved drivers to ensure they did not allow
the protest degenerate to a breakdown of law and order.
‘We’re fed up’
One of the drivers, who
only gave his name as Isiaka, said they were fed up with the illegal fees, which
their leaders allegedly collect on daily basis.
According to him, after
paying some mandatory fees at Ojoo end, another set of fee collectors will
stand at the University of Ibadan, Sango, Mokola and Dugbe to collect theirs
He said: “We have made
several complaints and entreaties to them, but they refused to yield. There is
no way we can continue like this.
“What do we tell owners
of the vehicles we drive when we stop work in the evening? We are going now to
make formal complaints to the police at Eleyele, Ibadan, to help us call the
union leaders to order.”
Telephone calls made to
the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, and state
chairman of NURTW, Mr. Taofeek Oyerinde, did not connect because their phones
were switched off.
However, an ex-chairman of
the union, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed the alleged extortion
of the drivers by the current leadership of the union.
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