20th August, 2010
It was a free for all at the state secretariat of the Road Transport Employer’s Association of Nigeria, Agboju Amuwo, Opposite Festac Town, Lagos, recently when two factions of the association clashed, using dangerous weapons and taking over the busy Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
There was serious traffic jam for hours as motorists and passersby scrambled for safety, before men of the Nigeria Police from Area ‘E’ Command came to the rescue.
According to P.M.NEWS checks, trouble started when members of a faction stormed the secretariat to protest against the continued stay of the caretaker chairman, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, in office. They claimed that he was the genesis of all the crises in the chapels of the state branch.
A member of the RTEAN, who wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons stated that Mohammed was planted by some members of the national body because of their political interest in the state, towards the 2011 general elections.
A member of the Ayangburen Zone of the association said the situation in RTEAN is out of place because the money the members were levied towards the realisation of a state secretariat had been used to purchase a jeep for the caretaker chairman.
Another member from Surulere Zone who simply identified himself as James said the situation is pathetic as members are being treated like slaves. He stated that the association’s secretariat had allegedly been turned into a barrack of soldiers where five to six Op Mesa pick-ups are stationed with an average of 25 soldiers, regardless of RRS police personnel.
However, efforts to reach Alhaji Musa Mohammed proved abortive as he was said to have travelled to Abuja.