Commercial drivers affiliated with CMS Taxi and Bus Nigeria Limited staged a peaceful protest in Marina, Lagos, yesterday.
The drivers, facing economic hardship due to the lockdown of their park by the Lagos State Government, fervently appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for intervention.
Speaking on behalf of the drivers, Alabi Kamorudeen, the union president, stated the sequence of events leading to the protest. He disclosed that the government had initially approached the union to utilize their park for an event, to which they consented.
However, upon the conclusion of the event, the park was abruptly locked up. Kamorudeen lamented that subsequent communication from the government indicated plans to renovate the park and allocate it to other unions, effectively displacing CMS Taxi and Bus Nigeria Limited.
Kamorudeen emphasized the dire consequences of the park’s closure, asserting that many members had been left unemployed, thus impacting their ability to sustain themselves and serve commuters. He implored Governor Sanwo-Olu to consider the plight of both the drivers and the commuters who rely on their services.
In response to the protest, Mr. Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, refuted the drivers’ claims, alleging that the park was locked due to the operators’ failure to register with the government and comply with state regulations. Giwa cited the union’s non-payment of taxes to the state government over the past five years as further justification for the closure. However, he assured that discussions were underway between the union leaders and the government to resolve the impasse promptly.
