Reinstate NURTW Now, Iyeru's Park Management Committee Illegal, Ogun Lawmaker Tells Abiodun

ABEOKUTA - A former Deputy Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Dare Kadiri, has faulted the collection of levies in motor parks and garages in the state by the Park Management Committee set up by the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration. 

Kadiri, stated that the committee was not a legal entity and should be disbanded as a revenue collection agency forthwith, calling for the reinstatement of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) earlier proscribed across the parks and garages. 

Recall that, the NURTW was confronted with inter-union crisis over who controls the leadership of the union in the state between Akeem Bodunrin Iyeru and Dr. Ismaila Mustapha Yaro.

The intractable crisis which engulfed the union for about one year was finally laid to rest in 2020 following an Industrial Court judgement ordering the state government and Police to recognize Dr. Ismaila Yaro as the authentic NURTW Chairman in the state.

But Governor Abiodun, as a way of compensating Iyeru for his support during the 2019 governorship election proscribed the NURTW and installed Iyeru as the General Manager, Parks Management in the state to collect levies at all motor parks.

But Hon. Kadiri representing Ijebu North State Constituency II on Thursday while speaking with journalists shortly after the plenary held at the Assembly chamber submitted that there was an urgent need for the total review of the transport union sector in the state. 

According to him, the present park managers collecting revenue from transporters on behalf of the government were unregistered and illegal. 

He pointed out that since members of the NURTW belong to the organized labour, their operations ought to be restored in line with extant laws, adding that the union no longer poses any security threat. 

He argued that the proscription of NURTW in the state had brought untold hardship to members of the union, stressing that there should be an end to their plight. 

Kadiri said, "It's high time we stopped doing things shabbily. NURTW is a member of the Organized Labour and more so, their members have their own families.

"I am not a member of the Transport Committee but I'm a member of the House of Assembly and I'm supposed to protect my constituents. Yaro Ade (NURTW Chairman) and many of the transporters are from my constituency and I can see their families are suffering. We should not be punishing people for political reasons anymore."

The lawmaker, who insisted that the park managers were operating without any legal framework, urged the governor to sack them from various parks and garages in the state. 

"Before you can be a tax collector, you must have a registered entity with the government and all other requirements," he added. 

Kadiri, who noted that the Speaker also shared in his concern, however, stated that the sitting directed the House Committee on Transport to review the issue. 

The lawmaker also raised the alarm over resurgence of armed robbery and cult clashes in Ago-Iwoye and some communities in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state, saying there was urgent need to tackle the challenges. 

"There was another incident that almost led to communal clash after two motorcyclists were killed and their motorcycles snatched. We only thank God for the intervention of people like myself, Hon. Adesegun Adekoya (Attacker) and our Kabiyesi, among others," he said. 

Responding to the lawmaker's submission, the Speaker enjoined the state Commissioner of Police to rejig the security architecture of the state towards improving its operational surveillance to address the prevailing security challenges. 

Oluomo charged the Police Command and other security agencies in the state to up their game, especially around Ago-Iwoye, which has peculiarities as a community hosting a state-owned university.

He harped on the need to ensure strategic protection of whistle-blowers for effective intelligence gathering towards improving security networks for the safety of lives and property. 

The Speaker further admonished members of the Community Development Associations, religious organizations, traditional rulers, and all residents in the State to always liaise with security operatives towards nipping crimes and criminalities in the bud.