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There is tension in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun States, over impending clash between two transport unions, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the Ogun State Parks and Garages Management Board, OGSPAM.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!DAILY POST gathered that there are three transport unions in the state taking revenue from motorists on behalf of the state government.
Aside from NURTW and OGSPAM, Road Transport Workers Employees and Owners Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, is also responsible for the collection of revenue for the state government.
Meanwhile, the state government created OGSPAM after the NURTW was suspended in the state in 2021. But in October 2023, the ban was lifted.
A popular leader of the NURTW, Akeem Abodunrin, known as Iyeru, was made the chairman of OGSPAM to undertake government sales of union tickets in the absence of the NURTW.
DAILY POST further gathered that, early in March, the Commissioner for Transportation, Engr Gbenga Dairo, directed both NURTW and OGSPAM to rotate the sales of the government tickets with the view to maintain peace among the unions.
By this arrangement, RTEAN will sell tickets for two weeks while NURTW and OGSPAM will sell tickets for one week respectively.
Sources in the unions, however, hinted DAILY POST that trouble started when the commissioner directed the leadership of OGSPAM to back out of the arrangement while the NURTW takes over their own week.
Our correspondent, who visited Panseke, Kuto, Lafenwa and Brewery motor parks in Abeokuta, saw heavily armed policemen standing at strategic locations.
Touts were also seen battle ready in the visited parks.
When contacted on the development, the transport commissioner asked our correspondent to wait for a statement from his press officer, Babajide Jokotagba.
But efforts to speak with the media aide were unsuccessful as he neither picked his calls nor responded to text messages.
The Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamut, confirmed the development, adding that the situation has been brought under control.
He also debunked claims by some media houses that lives have been lost in a fracas connected to transport unions in the state.
“The security agents and the government have stepped into the situation, the police are out there to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.
“In fact, I am just leaving a meeting held with the government over the matter. So everything is fine and let me also add that nobody was killed in the incident.”
