Extortion: Lagos Truck Owners, Drivers Accuse Govt Of Supporting ‘Agberos’
LAGOS JUNE 9TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The extortion menace that is currently impacting on haulage businesses on the Nigeria’s Apapa port corridor has now become institutionalised as truck owners and drivers now include money for extortion as part of their operational cost.
They also said that the extortionists have become so brazen are ready to kill, maim and cause accident if truck drivers do not comply with their demand.
Speaking to Sweetcrudereports on the development, Mr. Richard Udoka, a truck owner, said that issue of extortion by hoodlums has been on for three years now adding that the criminal actions of these hoodlums has been approved by the Lagos State Government.
Udoka also said that the proscription of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the creation of Parks and Garage Committee has escalated the menace of extortion as the State Government has left their boys lose all over Lagos to collect money on their behalf.
According to him, these monies are not receipted.
He said: “Budgeting extortion money as part of our operating cost is not hidden and this has been the trend in the last three years, and this was before the inception of Electronic Call Up system otherwise known as ‘ETO’.
“I can run it with you bit by bit from where their monies are paid and the people the people that collect it, it is not hidden and it is sanctioned by the Lagos State Government, I can say any day any time how it is sanctioned by the State government.
“These are monies collected by their cronies, for their cronies and shared with their cronies.
Reacting to the development, President of the Association of Maritime Transport Owners, AMATO, Mr. Remi Ogungbemi said that for a driver to go and deliver cargo safely without any form of harassment or damage to the vehicle, a budget must be allocated for such journey.
He explained that if the driver is not given money to give to these hoodlums and touts, it is either the driver ends up in the hospital or the truck is vandalized.
He said: “There are a lot of extortions going on within the Lagos metropolis and we have several letters to the government to let them know about the harassment, embarrassment and intimidation due the ignoble activities of hoodlums in Lagos.
“Government should do something about it and look for how to criminalize the activities of these hoodlums, government should outlaw the activities of these people.
Government was able to checkmate okada riders in certain parts of Lagos, the same pronouncement should be made concerning these hoodlums of the roads except government is benefiting from the extortions.
Recall that the Lagos Government proscribed the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW, and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN and replace them with the Lagos State Park and Garage Committee, Park and Garage Administration.
Efforts to reach the State government through Transport Commissioner, Dr. Fredick Oladeinde referred our correspondent to the Special Assistant to the Lagos Governor on Transport Mr. Sola Giwa.
However, calls and text messages to Mr. Giwa’s phone lines were not answered.
Sweet Crude
Short URL: https://newsrangers.com/?p=109379
Posted by News Rangers
on Jun 9 2023. Filed under Business, National.
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