The Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, has made a call to the Lagos State government, to mandate every state agent in charge of Park and Garages, under the leadership of Musilu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, to comply to the earlier court judgment that ordered that they should vacate every loading and offloading point as well as offices being occupied by them.
This call was made by the Acting Lagos State Chairman of the association, Aransiola Qudus, during a briefing he held with journalists to keep them up to date with the legal face-off between the RTEAN and the state government.
Recall that shortly after a crisis between the RTEAN and its sister union, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, the Lagos State government announced on September 28, 2022, that it had dissolved the RTEAN, its operation in Lagos and its elected executive committee, and replaced it with Parks and Garages Committee, in the interim.
According to Qudus, RTEAN followed due process by taking legal action at a court of jurisdiction, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Suit No: NICN/LA/381/2022, challenging the Lagos State government for allegedly dissolving the elected executive committee of the union and appointing a caretaker body, headed by MC Oluomo.
He stated that the association remained a registered trade union and was established under the Senior Staff and Employers Association, as well as the Trade Union Act CAP T14 laws of the federation 2003 which falls under the exclusive legislative list of the constitution of the amended 1999 constitution, while having the power to operate from any part of the country.
His words: ‘Lagos State inclusive as well as to protect the interest of its members who are the owners of all category of commercial vehicles operating in Nigeria and to control and supervise the activities of loading and offloading of goods and services, wipe out touting and all forms of thuggery and hooliganism in cooperation with law enforcement agencies as well as to do all that is humanly possible to enhance the prestige and smooth progress of the road transport industry in all shapes and forms.’
‘RTEAN has contributed immensely to the success of security and peace in Lagos State more especially during the tenure of Governor Bola Tinubu when he allowed our union to use our constitutional mandate as a Trade Union in the transport industry to eliminate tout, thuggery and hooliganism in the motor parks and garages whereby a lot of youths were reformed, and became employers of labour.’
‘We are not fighting the Government of Lagos State in any form but we have a responsibility and task to accomplish in moving the nation’s economy forward by transporting goods and services that are integral parts of our lives.
‘A country is that, that comprises of different arms, boards and parastatals and each has its own responsibility to and we must remain so as a federation, we are law-abiding, peace-loving and mature in our dealings.’
