Chairman, House Committee on Transportation, Temitope Adewale, who made the position of the Assembly known, said the legislative arm had been very proactive as it already has a law creating the Lagos State Parking Authority, which should now oversee activities at all the parks in the state.
According to Adewale, the House is fully aware of developments in the transportation union and now that the crisis has resulted in the banning of NURTW activities in Lagos, saying it is clear to state that all parks, garages and parking activities would be under the Lagos State Parking Authority as stipulated by law.”
The House said at the stage the NURTW has found itself; the State has to take charge of the situation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
The House said, by law, the state’s Parking Authority has a General Manager on whose shoulders the responsibility now falls to manage the parks at the moment.
“The law approves a general manager for the Parking Authority. Lagosians should be calm.
The situation is under control as the government takes necessary actions,” he said.
The government had, last Thursday, announced the suspension of all NURTW activities in the state.
The government has also denied appointing suspended Chairman of the NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, alias MC Oluomo, as General Manager of Lagos Transport Parks and Garages Committee as rumoured.
Meanwhile, despite the suspension of NURTW activities across parks and garages, many foot soldiers of the union were sighted, yesterday, across different parts of the city still operating, collecting dues from transporters.
From Festac Firstgate to Mile 2, Suru, Alaba, Orile, Mushin to Agege, the union officers were still harassing commercial bus drivers to pay dues. Many were fully kitted in the union uniform while some others wore caps, apron or material with NURTW name or logo.
This was also defiance to the earlier pronouncement by the suspended acting state Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya popularly called MC Oluomo, who said that the Lagos NURTW was pulling out of the national body.
In announcing the suspension, the state government, in a statement, by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said a committee would be set up to manage the parks and garages with critical stakeholders in the sector appointed as members.
Omotoso said: “The Lagos State government has been watching closely events in the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union (NURTW). There have been claims and counterclaims over the control of the union.
“The government has a duty to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Lagosians and visitors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to douse the unnecessary tension generated by the leadership tussle in the NURTW and protect the citizenry from the likely fallout of the situation.”
Similarly, after a meeting at the state secretariat in Agege, Akinsanya announced the withdrawal of the state chapter from the national body, stating that all attempts to have an amicable resolution to the crisis with the national body failed.
“Therefore, I, Comrade Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya, on behalf of the State Administrative Council (SAC), State Executive Council (SEC) members and the entire union rank and file members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Council with over 200 branches and zones hereby resolve to immediately withdraw our membership and operation from the national body of NURTW for peace to reign in Lagos State and to write the Lagos State Governor, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation (MOT) and other relevant agencies about our decision.
“We hereby call on Lagos State government to take over the running of the affairs of the union with the constitution of a park management committee for motor garages and parks in the state, thereby ensuring peace and tranquillity, pending the determination of the matter in the interest of the good people of Lagos State.”
