The National President COMTUA of, Prince Adeyinka Aroyewun has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring his attention to the unfolding crisis in the maritime transport industry in Lagos State.
In a letter dated November 8, 2024 and made available to Business Hilights, Prince Aroyewun averred as follows; “The issue at hand concerns the illegal sale of tickets on roads by members of Association of Maritime Transport Owners (AMATO) and Lagos State Trucks and Cargo Committee (LASTCOC), which has resulted in extortion, intimidation, harassment, and other crimes.
“Despite the signed MOU forbidding the sale of tickets or toll collection on roads, the Governor of Lagos State has maintained a connivance with these criminal elements, and various letters of authorization have been issued by the government to police and other security agencies in support of this illegality. This has led to injuries and deaths as individuals try to resist the imposition of these unlegislated tickets, which are also a subject of litigation.
“The Governor’s inaction in this matter is seen as a ploy to support these criminal elements, and it is likely to lead to an escalated crisis that could set the state on fire. It is therefore imperative that urgent action is taken to address this issue and bring those involved to justice.
“The Federal Ministry of Labour and productivity through a letter addressed to the Special Adviser to The Lagos state governor on Transportation (copy attached) advised against using non registered trade union group to extort on the grounds of revenue generation; as both AMATO and LASTCOC are not registered as trade union. The government of Lagos State is still in push for illicit revenue generation through AMATO.
“As the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we urge you to intervene in this matter and ensure that justice is served. We call on you to direct the relevant authorities to investigate these criminal acts and bring the perpetrators to book. We also call on you to ensure that the rule of law prevails in Lagos State and that the rights of citizens are protected.
“We believe that your intervention in this matter will go a long way in restoring peace and order in the maritime transport industry in Lagos State, and we look forward to your prompt action on this matter.
