•By Halimah Olamide
The Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Association, Musiliu Akinsaya, popularly known as Mc Oluomo, has banned collections of illegal taxes levied by agberos in some parts of the state following a protest by commercial bus drivers few days ago.
This is a part of his intervention in the conflict involving commercial drivers and highway tax collectors who target transporters in the state.
Recall that NPO Reported earlier that commercial bus drivers had taken to the streets of the state to protest extortion by the agberos on Thursday.
According to FIJ, One of the drivers told FIJ that Mc Oluomo had placed a ban on the illegal taxes levied by agberos.
“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“He said those extra taxes imposed at Iyana Ipaja and Agbado Ijaiye were no longer valid.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.”
He further stated that to soothe the aggrieved drivers, Akinsanya said they 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.
“For those who were injured during the attack on protesting drivers, he donated N1 million. He said it should be used to treat those who were injured and those whose properties were stolen.
“I feel so happy. We are to resume work tomorrow 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.”