The Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Association, Musiliu Akinsaya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has intervened in the conflict involving commercial drivers and highway tax collectors who target commercial drivers, popularly known as agberos in the state.
He has also banned collections of illegal taxes levied by agberos in some part of the state, FIJ reports.
Recall commercial bus driver had taken to the streets of the state to protest extortion by the agberos on Thursday.
“Mc Oluomo told us Thursday afternoon when we held a meeting with him at the state council that no driver from Oshodi to Tollgate must be compelled to pay illegal agbero taxes anymore.
“We are only to buy two tickets in a day, after which we will not pay anything aside from loading fees.
“The normal ticket sold and approved by the Lagos State Park Management is just N800.
“He said those extra taxes imposed at Iyana Ipaja and Agbado Ijaiye were no longer valid. We can either buy our daily tickets in Oshodi or Tollgate, and either will be recognised.
“Afterwards, we will buy the council ticket and booking for security, which is about N500,” a driver disclosed to FIJ.
He added that MC Oluomo has said the drivers would no longer pay for tickets on Saturdays and Sundays.
“For weekend jobs, Mc Oluomo has mandated that no driver should be made to buy tickets on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.
“The union should only compel us to buy tickets from Monday to Friday. We should be given the chance to take something home to our families.”
He added that MC Oluomo also donated N1 million to those who were injured during the attack on protesting drivers.
He expressed gladness as dreivers resume work today “with minimal agbero disturbances.”
“There are no more unbearable taxes. All we have to pay in a day is a little below N2,500 compared to the N20,000 we paid previously,” he added.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
