NURTW Crisis: CHSR Gives Gov Sanwo-Olu 7 Days To Reconstitute Park Management Committee 

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE 

A human rights group, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR)has given the Lagos State Government 7 days ultimatum to reconstitute the newly created Park Management Committee (PMC) because it contravened the State law while creating it. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that CHSR stated this at a press conference held in Ikeja on Thursday, to call on the State Government to stop the anarchy in the transportation sector for the interest of peace in Lagos.

The group accused the Governor of the state, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, of contravening Section 12 of the Lagos State Park Authority Law 2011, saying that the Park Management Committee was illegally constituted by the Governor.

The State Government inaugurated a 26-man park management committee in March 2022 headed by the sacked Lagos Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo), after suspending the activities of the Union in the state.

The operation of the Park Management Committee had caused chaos in some parts of the state as members of the Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN) accused MC Oluomo of violently taking over the running of their parks.

The President of CHSR, Comrade Alex Omotehinse, said that the group is giving the State Government a 7-day ultimatum to reconstitute the Committee to accommodate other members of the factions including major stakeholders in the transport sector. 

“The operation of Park Management Committee has turned the state to slaughtering abattoir where Lagos residents and road users are now being harassed, assaulted, harmed and killed on daily basis through the mode of operation of this Committee alleged to be protected by men of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) under the Lagos State Command.”

”Lagosians have started witnessing pockets of violent activities within Lagos State metropolis in areas where the Park Management Committee has encroached and forcefully taken over, which ought not to have arisen. The selective encroachment are consumable, if truly Transport Unions’ activities are banned. Why TOOAN parks are the ones subjected to attack? Why are the tricycle riders union, RTEAN and tricycle operators union, which are affiliated to RTEAN are still operating? This is a pure show of injustice on the part of the State Government” said Omotehinse.

”Between 19th-23rd April 2022, over 1000 transport vehicles were vandalised and a Rainoil filling station was attacked based on their relationship with TOOAN State Chairman”, Omotehinse lamented.

The rights group accused Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State House of Assembly members of complacency, charging the lawmakers as a matter of urgency to reconvene an emergency plenary session that would comprise all stakeholders to debate reasonable solutions before the situation degenerates beyond control.

”We demand that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Alabi, should direct his men to always maintain neutrality in approaching the issue anywhere in the state. They should not take side by protecting one against the other”said Omotehinse.

The group stated that after seven days if the State government did not reconstitute the PMC, they will have no choice than to go to Court to compel them to do so.