The Motorcycle Operators’ Union of Nigeria, Lagos Branch, has raised the alarm over an alleged move by a traditional ruler in Alimosho Local Government (name withheld) and some senior members of the Ministry of Transportation in the state to hijack their union against the directive of the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The union described this development as a subversion of the governor’s directives in the implementation of recognition and certification for the operation of the union in the state.
To avert the looming crisis, the union, through its counsel, Jiti Ogunye, has called for government intervention.
Ogunye, in the company of the Chairman of MOUN, Lagos State Branch, Taiwo Adetunji, stated this at a media briefing on Monday, in Lagos.
He said, “We call this press conference to brief you about a real and present threat to take over the structure of our union in Lagos State by a certain interest, being unfortunately aided by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation; and to tell you our expectation of remedy from the Governor of Lagos State, Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu.”
The union claimed that after the governor granted his approval for the establishment of the union as the sole collectors of tolls from motorcyclists in the state, top officials in the ministry through the ‘back door’ had coopted the monarch into the plans, requesting that the structure of the union be handed over to the monarch.
The Secretary of the union, Segun Ajomole, stressed that after turning down several offers from the monarch, the Director of Transport Operations, Sola Giwa, called him to a meeting attempting to make him sign a Memorandum of Understanding that would hand over the soul of the union to the monarch.
Ajemole added that the officials of the ministry had continued to frustrate the union’s workability against the governor’s directive because of his refusal to handle its structure for the monarch.
Earlier, Ogunye asserted that upon the governor’s directive, the Ministry of Justice had perfected the legal framework work to kick-start the union and passed the same to the transport ministry before the alleged civil servants cornered the document.
He stated, “We had learnt and we had confirmed that upon receiving the said communication from the Ministry of Justice on September 13, 2024, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Mr Wale Musa, had treated the same for implementation by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, the Director of Transport Operations, Engr. Olasunkanmi M. Ojowuro, and the Director of Legal Services, Bamidele Togbeola, Esq.
“While pretending to be implementing the governor’s directives, under the supervision of the Hon. Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Oshiyemi, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Mr Wale Musa, the above-named Lagos State Government officials in the Ministry of Transportation engaged in an unbelievable but audacious conspiracy to willfully manipulate the implementation of the governor’s decision to approve the operation of MOUN in Lagos State, as sought by us through our counsel.
“The said officials colluded, for reasons best known to them but which are not too difficult to fathom, to hand over MOUN’s letter of recognition and certification for operation in Lagos State to the monarch.
“We urge the media to draw attention to the injustice meted out to us and to assist us in securing justice. MOUN’s counsel submitted a letter (petition) dated 26th of April 2024 with the title: Operation of MOUN in Lagos State following Its Registration under The Trade Unions Act—Plea for Its Official Recognition by the Lagos State Government as the Sole Motorcycle Operators’ Union in Lagos State, and Request for Collaboration to the Governor of Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.”
The PUNCH gathered that this development had been brewing tension in the transport ecosystem in the state, as transport union leaders were beginning to align separately in support of the feuding groups.
The union counsel said, “Clearly, this is an act of gross misconduct and insubordination by the public servants and the political adviser involved. An act which, apart from the need for immediate remediation, ought to attract a severe reprimand.
“That approval ought not to have been manipulated, and its implementation ought not to have been corruptly diverted, as it has been done in this case, to enable a non-member of MOUN to seize the Union.”
Contacted for his reaction, the permanent secretary of the ministry dismissed the allegations, claiming that the accusations by the union against him and the ministry were strange to him.
He added that the ministry had always maintained the position of an unbiased empire with the activities of the transport unions in the state.
He said, “As a ministry, we don’t dabble into the internal running of unions. I am not aware of any MOU as stated. We have been having peace and harmony between the unions and (we) will not do anything to jeopardise that.
“Anything to the contrary is a figment of the accuser’s imagination. The ministry is an unbiased empire and as usual, our doors are open to assist in maintaining peace within the unions and between the unions.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the monarch were unsuccessful, as he did not pick up his calls nor respond to text messages of enquiry sent to him by our correspondent on the matter.