We’re Not Aware Of Extortion, MC Oluomo Replies Striking Lagos Drivers

The Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Garages Management, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, yesterday, urged aggrieved commercial bus drivers to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters.

Commercial drivers in Lagos State, under the aegis of the Joint Drivers’ Welfare Association of Nigeria, JDWAN, on Monday, commenced a 7-day strike, after its meeting with the Lagos State government ended in a deadlock.

But MC Oluomo, who spoke through the Secretary of the Parks and Garages Management (Operations), Mr. Olayiwola Lemboye, said the agency has a conflict resolution mechanism to address the drivers’ grievances.

He said: “As we speak, we have not received any communication from anyone on the issue of extortion or harassment. They ought to have reported the matter to their branch chairmen or bring it to the state secretariat if branch chairmen are not forthcoming.

“The purported strike action has a political undertone. If not, how come they are coming under a name unknown to the law? The government recognises two bodies – the suspended National Union of Road Transport Union, NURTW, in Lagos State and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN.

“The Joint Drivers’ Welfare Association of Nigeria, JDWAN, is not known. Despite that, the state government’s Liaison Officer to the Parks and Garages Management, Mr Hakeem Odumosu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, has also waded into the matter and held a meeting with them. Instead of adhering to the agreement reached, they resorted to blackmailing the respected retired police officer.”