Wale Jagun, Olatunji & Bolu Orebajo
-We have removed the ‘marker’ charges, resolved the matter – Union
Operators of commercial tricycles in Ikorodu, today, trooped out in large numbers to protest against what they termed as ‘unberable’ ticket charges on a daily basis by the road transport union, calling for the intervention of the government and community.
The embittered tricycle operators started the protest from Ojubode which is close to the Ikorodu garage roundabout, and to Ikorodu Grammar School/Oke Ota – Ona where they converged on Mobil Petrol Station to staged another protest and later marched towards Itamaga and Ijede road.
The protest terminated at the Elepe garage, along Ijede road.
The commercial drivers, who came from different parts of Ikorodu, loudly stated that they cannot continue to pay for charges in different forms.
Some of the protesters that spoke with our reporters, pleaded for anonymity for fear of punishment and threat from the union members.
Speaking with our reporter, one of the protesters who operated at the Ojubode park, said that they were protesting because of marker charge and other dues.
“I hope that you are not going to disclose my name because if you are going to, I will put a stop to this interview. In this part of the world, they love to threaten somebody. They are just looking for slaves and if you say you want to say the truth, they will singe you out for punishment.
“For some time, they have been collecting all sorts of dues in the name of marker, and we all know the economic situation in this country. It is because of this that we, operators, came together to demand that there should be a stop to some of these dues”, he said.
He said that the union does not in anyway serve the operators and therefore, called on the government and the Ikorodu community to proscribe them.
“Frankly speaking, there is nothing about the union except to extort those of us that are working. I would love a situation whereby the government and the community would even intervene in the matters and do away with the union, because it is not a union at all.
“If you look at their organization and everything, you know that there is nothing for us, the operators, to talk about in the union. Unionism is based on certain principles. The principles of welfare and fairness but those don’t exist here , and a situation, whereby, somebody will impose himself as a life Chairman, does not add up. It’s supposed to be tenurial.
“In the union, we talk about welfare and protection. Whose welfare are they protecting? So, this idea of using union to address them is uncalled for because they are not a union but only serving themselves. They are just here to make money because they are affiliated to some powerful people in government”, the operator said angrily.
Another operator, who simply identified himself as Gbotemi, and operates around Ikorodu garage, also called on the government to ensure that the union remove the marker’s dues.
“We are protesting against our union. They always collect money for marker and they aways increase the rate of the marker. That is why we are doing protest this morning .
“We advise the government and the community to, please, talk to our union to remove marker rate, because we are still managing to pay for the tickets which is already killing, but the marker rate is just too much.
“They are taking too much from us and we want that to stop”, he said.
An operator at the Elepe park, Mr Jonathan, also said that the protest was about the exorbitant charges by the unions.
“The reason we are out today protesting is because of the marker charges. It is too much and we can’t bear with it again. They will collect N200, N300 and N500 at different times on a daily basis, for what?.
“This is not just in the morning or once daily, but in the morning, afternoon and evening. They will also collect security due.
“They wil collect for Baba Modinat N500, Scama N500, Ok N200, Alhaji N200, Highland N200, and Always N200.
“All these money are killing and everything that we use to buy are now more than triple in the market. The plug that we used to buy for N600 is now N2600 and rubber is now N1500, and we can’t increase the fare anyhow because people are also protesting against it.
“The police are also there collecting theirs.
“We tha the DPO who addressed us earlier.He assured us that there is no more payment for marker and that we should only pay for the ticket and no more. The ticket alone is N1200 daily”, he said.
Another tricycle operator at the Grammar School, said that they are fed up paying for marker and security.
“We cant continue to behave as if all is well. It is not. We are protesting today because the money we are paying for marker and security at every junction and bus stops, is too much.
“That is what we are out to stop today and the reason we didn’t work.
“We came from Grammar School, Elepe, Mowo Nla parks and others, to express our concerns against the charges.
“We want them to erase all the charges, we only want to pay for what we know as the National Bill”.
Our reporters learnt that the Divisional Police Officer, Ikorodu Police headquarters along Igbogbo Road, earlier in the protest, addressed the protesters and cautioned them against violent protest.
It was also gathered that he assured them that he will intervene in the matter and see to it that their grievances are addressed.
He charged them to conduct themselves in an orderly manners.
Chairman, NURTW Ikorodu garage park, Mr Ajibade Ogunsanwao (Federal), in a phone chat with THE IMPACT, said the matter has been resolved.
“It was the marker that made me know that some people were collecting from them. That was what caused the protest, but we have amicably resolved the matter.
“It was those that went out yesterday that demanded for marker dues that caused the problem, but we have removed that, and the whole issue has been resolved”, he said.
