Ogun lawmaker advises Gov Abiodun to sack park managers, reinstate NURTW

The governor had in February banned the union from collecting levies on behalf of the government from transporters at motor parks and set up a Park Management Committee for the collection of levies in motor parks and garages across the state. 

Kadiri's Argument: Faulting the establishment of the committee, Kadiri said advised the governor to disband the committee saying it’s not a legal entity.

The lawmaker, representing Ijebu North II State Constituency also called on the governor to reinstate the NURTW earlier proscribed across the parks and garages in the state.

Kadiri made the call while speaking under personal explanation at the plenary held in Abeokuta, which was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo on Thursday, July 19, 2022.

Speaking with reporters after the plenary Kadiri, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said that there was an urgent need for a total review of the transport union sector in the state.

According to him, the park managers set up by the governor to collect revenue from transporters on behalf of the government were unregistered and illegal.

Kadiri argued that since members of the NURTW belong to organised labour, their operations ought to be restored in line with extant laws.

He further maintained that the proscription of NURTW in the state had brought untold hardship to members of the union, stressing that there should be an end to their plights.

His Words: “It’s high time we stopped doing things shabbily. NURTW is a member of the Organised Labour and more so, their members have their own families.

“I am not a member of the Transport Committee but I’m a member of the House of Assembly and I’m supposed to protect my constituents. Yaro Ade (NURTW Chairman) and many of the transporters are from my constituency and I can see their families are suffering. We should not be punishing people for political reasons anymore.”

While calling on governor Abiodun to sake the committee, the lawmaker argued that the park managers have been operating without any legal framework in the state since their formation.

“Before you can be a tax collector, you must have a registered entity with the government and all other requirements,” he added.

Kadiri, who noted that the Speaker also shared in his concern, however, stated that the sitting directed the House Committee on Transport to review the issue.

On insecurity in Ogun, Kadiri also raised the alarm over the resurgence of armed robbery and cult clashes in Ago-Iwoye and some communities in Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

He said that there was an urgent need to tackle the challenges.

“There was another incident that almost led to communal clash after two motorcyclists were killed and their motorcycles snatched. We only thank God for the intervention of people like myself, Hon. Adesegun Adekoya (Attacker) and our Kabiyesi, among others,” he said.

Speaker's Response: Responding to the lawmaker’s submission, the Speaker enjoined the state Commissioner of Police to rejig the security architecture of the state towards improving its operational surveillance to address the prevailing security challenges.

Oluomo charged the Police Command and other security agencies in the state to up their game, especially around Ago-Iwoye, which has peculiarities as a community hosting a state-owned university.