By Iffy
Commuters in Lagos State will experience difficult situation, starting today, Monday, October 31, as the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) have commenced a seven day strike action in protest against the activities of touts popularly known as “agberos” in the state.
The drivers’ union had earlier given the state government an ultimatum to meet their demands which included the immediate withdrawal of the touts from the roads and stopping them from collecting excessive levies from them, giving the government a Sunday, October 30 deadline to resolve the issues or they would embark on a strike from Monday.
The National President of JDWAN, Akintade Abiodun, while addressing press men on Sunday, stated that representatives of the association met with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola and the motor park management liaison officer, Hakeem Odumosu (AIG retd) in the company of JDWAN legal adviser, Barrister Ayo Ademiluyi, to resolve the matter, but all was to no avail.
He said the essence of the meeting was, however defeated as all the drivers got was “threats upon threats,” hence the strike will take place as scheduled.
The Lagos State government has since made no concrete response to JDWAN demands, rather, their representatives only asked for another letter to be submitted on Monday, which is regarded as a joke on our part, having released press statements with concise demands.
“We also honoured the demand to deliver physical copy of the letters to the Lagos State government, the SSS, the Commissioner of Police and Commissioner for Transportation respectively.
