The Lagos State Parks and Garages Administrators (LASPGA) have strongly opposed the planned protest by the state chapter of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) in support of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), urging the union to reconsider its plan.
The TUC recently threatened to initiate an indefinite industrial action in Lagos State due to the ongoing suspension of RTEAN’s activities. The union had planned a mass protest across the state starting on Monday.
Festus Osifo, the TUC president, argued that the Lagos State Government’s actions amounted to a de facto ban on RTEAN’s operations in the state. RTEAN’s motor parks had been taken over, and its offices locked by the government.
Despite numerous appeals and letters to the state government, no action has been taken to address the concerns raised since a court decision in 2022 overturned the state government’s suspension order, leading to a violent clash among RTEAN members.
In response, LASPGA issued a statement on Saturday, expressing their concerns about the situation. Abdulrahman Amusan, the state Secretary of LASPGA, described the development as “disturbing” and criticized the TUC for undermining the authority of the mother body by pursuing this course of action.
Excerpts from the statement read, “This news, to us, is not only disturbing but also debasing and demeaning of the position of the mother body to be relegated to chasing shadows.
“All the schemes to cause chaos and pandemonium in the state by the leadership of the TUC in the guise of protest is not alien to us. We are familiar with the intrigues of Alhaji Musa MUHAMMED and his cohorts in the Trade Union. To us, the planned protest is a case of weeping more than the bereaved”
LASPGA argued that its existence aligns with the state government’s directives and warned the TUC president and his supporters to reconsider their planned protest. They emphasized that such a protest would contradict the court’s ruling and could disrupt the peace in the state.
In conclusion, we wish to reiterate that the existence of LASPGA is in line with the pronouncement of the Lagos state government. We therefore urge the TUC President and his cohorts to abort their planned protest and not to allow itself to be dragged into the stormy water of the Transport Union by Alhaji Musa Muhammed who is the national treasurer of the TUC. As it will only amount to acting in contradiction with the rulings of the court.
The statement concluded by urging the TUC to reconsider their actions and not be swayed by Alhaji Musa Muhammed, the national treasurer of the TUC, into pursuing a protest that goes against legal decisions and may disrupt the tranquility in Lagos.
“As a matter of fact, holding a protest of such nature on a Monday in Lagos is targeted at truncating the serenity enjoyed in the state.”
