28th April, 2024
By Paul Iyoghojie
Bus drivers operating under the umbrella of Transport and Motors, T & M Lekki, Ajah area of Lagos from CMS bus stop embarked on a peaceful protest on 23 April 2024 over the shutting of their motor parks at CMS bus stop.
The park has been shut for three weeks by the Lagos government officials.
The drivers appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to have mercy on them and reopen the park for them to continue their daily business, saying they and their families were dying of hunger as a result of the closure.
Some of the protesting drivers who spoke with P.M.NEWS at the motor parks on Thursday stated that hunger forced them to embark on the peaceful protest to let the “listening and God fearing Governor Sanwo-Olu know what is happening to them at CMS bus stop”, adding that they would be forced to take the protest to the street if the park is not reopen soonest for them to continue their business.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting drivers, Mr Alabi Olabamiji Kamorudeen appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to urgently come to their rescue and reopen the BRT parks so they could continue their business to prevent the situation from degenerating to an avoidable crisis.
“Our problem started on 1 April 2024 when the special adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on transportation, Mr. Sola Giwa came to our park to approach us for the usage of our park for an event which took place at a church opposite the motor park with the promise to hand over the park to us after the event.
“We obliged and relocated about 36 long buses and about 50 minibuses operating from the parks and suffered huge revenue loss during the period.
“We were shocked to our bone marrow when after the event, Mr. Sola Giwa padlocked the gate of our park and took the keys away instead of handing it over to us and since then we have been counting losses.
“When we asked questions, Mr. Giwa told us that he was contemplating sharing our park with another union group and we told him that the small park was not even enough for over about 36 long buses and 50 mini buses operating from the park talkless of sharing it with others.
“We have been operating from the motor park since 1974. We have passed through several governors, commissioners for transportation and Special Advisers on transportation and none has disturbed us, we are surprised by the latest development.
“We are now appealing to the listening, God fearing and kindhearted Governor Sanwo-Olu to reopen our motor parks for us to continue our business as we are dying gradually of hunger, adding that with the harsh economic situation in the country today, Mr. Sola Giwa is not supposed to inflict hardship on us for honouring him to use our park for an event, Kamorudeen lamented.