Reconstitute Parks Management Committee, activists tell Sanwo-Olu

By ADEYEMI ADELEYE

The Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) has called on the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to urgently reconstitute the Lagos State Parks Management Committee.

The President of CHSR, Mr Alex Omotehinse, made the call during a press conference on Thursday in Lagos.

Omotehinse said that the group had given the state government a seven-day ultimatum to reconstitute the Committee for effective running of the activities of the body in the state.

He said that if the government failed to.do so, the group would seek redress in a law court.

According to him, the step has become imperative to engender peace within the transport sector in the state.

He said that the peace had been tampered with, following the appointment of Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya as the Chairman for the Parks Management Committee.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the leadership crisis between the Lagos State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN) led to the suspension of the NURTW State Chairman, Akinsanya, by the national body.

Consequently, the state government proscribed the state council of the NURTW and appointed a 26-man Parks Management Committee chaired by Akinsanya.

This development has led to violence in some parks in the state.

Omotehinse said that the leadership crisis rocking the NURTW and TOOAN could cause anarchy if not urgently stemmed.

“Our interest is peace in the state. Peace must be in Lagos. If there is no peace there will not be progress.

“We are not speaking for any transport unions, we are speaking on behalf of the residents.

“Many road users and pedestrians have become victims of the hooliganism and attacks by some members of these transport unions.

“During the attacks, innocent residents have always been the victims of circumstance,” the rights activist said.

He said that the tricycle union had been an affiliate of NURTW and had been operating independently as TOOAN before the Gov. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) led administration

Omotehinse said that the administration, who through the then commissioner for Transportation, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, brokered an alliance for the affiliation of the union.

The rights activist, who called for sincere and genuine reconciliatory intervention by the government, lamented the alleged extortion of transporters and road users in the state.

According to him, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) ought to have found a way of resolving the dispute within its NURTW affiliate union in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Oyo States.

Omotehinse noted that the composition of the parks committee was at variance with the Lagos State Parks and Garden Authority law.

“According to section 12 of the Act, there shall be a general manager who will be the chief executive officer and to be responsible for the general administrative and day – day activities of the park management with five other members.

“But the committee as composed is alien to the law of the state. Where in the Act, as constituted and signed by law, is the provision for executive chairman and governor liaison officer?”

He said that the committee lacked fair representation of critical stakeholders, hence the reason for the unrest in some parks.

Omotehinse said: “In between April 19 and April 23, over 1000 transport vehicles were vandalised and a Rainoil filling station was attacked.

“Lagos residents have started witnessing pockets of violent activities within Lagos state metropolis in areas where the parks management committee have encroached and forcefully taken over, which ought not to have arisen.

“The State government should re-trace its steps by calling both the NURTW National body, the suspended Lagos State council chairman MC Oluomo and all the stakeholders in the transportation sector for a genuine dialogue in order to make an amicable resolution in the interest of peaceful co-existence.”

He also urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to organise a parley with stakeholders including civil society organisation.

This, according to him, is to debate a way forward before the issue degenerates, as transport sector is one of the most critical sectors that involve all citizens

He urged the police to be unbiased and neutral in the matter. (NAN)