Members of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) in Lagos recently embarked on a week-long protest against excessive taxations, extortions and physical assaults by the management of motor parks and garages in the state.
Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (Gafamorg) has condemned what it described as indiscriminate extortion of motorists in Lagos by the state traffic management authority, known as LASTMA.
Members of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) in Lagos recently embarked on a week-long protest against excessive taxations, extortions and physical assaults by the management of motor parks and garages in the state.
Also, The Punch last Friday published a story on the plight of motorists reportedly arrested on trumped-up charges by officials of LASTMA in the state.
According to the report, three LASTMA officials allegedly collected the sum of N13,000, N15,000 and N20,000 respectively from different commercial bus drivers in Lagos.
However, following the report, the General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, in a statement issued through the agency’s Director of the Public Affairs Department, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, said that a seven-man investigative panel had been set up to thoroughly look into the allegations.
But reacting to the reported incident, Gafamorg in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Comrade Babatunde Agunbiade and its National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Akintunde Adedeji, condemned the activities of the LASTMA officials.
Gafamorg said that it is aware of the incessant extortions, harassment and oppressive regime of LASTMA since its creation. It condemned the agency for extorting motorists in Lagos, especially private motorists who fall victim to its unwholesome activities.
It said, “LASTMA ordered probe into the published allegations is just mere window dressing and lip service, because the agency cannot feign ignorance or claim to be unaware of the plethora of complaints from motorists and Lagosians as a whole, against its officials which cloak them as a political thug structure of a Presidential Candidate in Lagos.”
It noted that situations whereby LASTMA officials “arrest, impound and extort offending motorists in the guise of fine is like being a judge in their own case because the interpretation of the laws by the Judiciary in Lagos clearly stated that the agency lacks the requisite power to impose various fines but to arrest, impound and charge offenders to court, not assuming the role of a revenue generation agency.”
The statement added, “Based on the aforementioned, Gafamorg calls on the Lagos State government for a total review of the Lagos Traffic laws to put an end to the oppressive regime and extortive act/ practices of LASTMA, to save motorists from unpleasant and agonizing experience in their hands, because the outcome of the investigate panel is doubtful as regards the sincerity and transparency of the agency to indict and sanction their alleged officials.”