Motorcycle union accuses Lagos ministry of undermining gov’s directives

By : Gbenga Salau

Date: 15 October 2024 3:34am WAT

People on motorcycles temperature are measured at a border between Abuja and the Nasarawa State on March 30, 2020, as they leave to neighbouring states after Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari called for a lockdown to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. - Over 20 million Nigerians on Monday scrambled to prepare for lockdown in sub-Saharan Africa's biggest city Lagos and the capital Abuja, as the continent struggled to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a two-week "cessation of all movements" in the key cities from 2200 GMT in a bid to ward off an explosion of cases in Africa's most populous country. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP)

The Motorcycle Operators’ Union of Nigeria (MOUN), Lagos Branch, has accused the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation of subverting Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directives regarding the recognition and certification of motorcycle operators.

To prevent a potential crisis, the union, represented by their solicitor, Jiti Ogunye Chambers, called for immediate intervention to maintain peace in Lagos.
At a media briefing yesterday, Ogunye, accompanied by the Chairman of MOUN’s Lagos State Branch, Taiwo Adetunji, outlined the union’s concerns.

“We have called this press conference to inform you about a real and present threat to our union in Lagos State,” Ogunye said. “Certain interests, unfortunately aided by the Ministry of Transportation, are attempting to take over our structure.”

He explained that MOUN had submitted a petition to Governor Sanwo-Olu on April 26, 2024, requesting official recognition as the sole motorcycle operators’ union in Lagos State and seeking permission for the union’s regulated activities.

“We notified the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, as well as the Commissioner for Transportation, that we had written to the Governor seeking recognition for MOUN,” Ogunye said.

However, he claimed that ministry officials undermined the governor’s intentions by allegedly handing over control of the union to a traditional ruler under the pretext of an internal dispute within MOUN.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no internal dispute in MOUN regarding the recognition accorded to us in Lagos State,” Ogunye asserted. Efforts to obtain a comment from the Ministry of Transportation have been unsuccessful, as the Public Relations Officer has yet to respond to inquiries.