Friday, 03 August 2012 00:00

The lingering  crises between Three Wheelers(tricycle) Beneficiaries, Operators Association and the Lagos State government and four others is still far from being over as the association has accused , one of the parties  in the crisis,The National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) of  misinforming the public on the true status of the case, recently struck out of court.

The tricycle (Keke Marwa) riders , as members of the association are called,  have also threatened for a showdown with anybody or institution that wants to forcefully take over their parks across the state.
Meanwhile, the  NURTW  has denied  the accusation against them by the keke Marwa  riders  and insisted that the court  decided on the matter, brought before it by the riders .
Comrade Lucas  Olaore , the administrative  secretary  of the keke Marwa riders,   while speaking with journalists, stated  empatically that the association’s case against the government and four others was not dismissed, as so persons had been peddling around, but actually, “struck out on technical grounds,” adding that the association had already refiled the suit at the same court.

“This is to notify the general public  of the pend ency of suit No FHC/IKJ /SC /133/2012  at the Federal High court  Agidingbi , Ikeja, which came up on Thursday the 21st day of June 2012 and adjourned to the 3rd of October 2012  between our association  and Lagos State government  and four others , including the National Union of Road Transport Workers,” Olaore  stated.
He further added : “ Our earlier similar case  I e suit No FHC ./IKJ ./CS/36/2010 was struck out by the said Federal Court Ikeja on the 12th of June 2012  as a result of discrepancies  in the arrangement of  the section of the law , upon which our earlier  case was predicated.”
He was quick to note that:  “Since the   case was struck out on technical ground  and not dismissed, we have filed  the aforesaid  new suit  as law abiding citizens and members of a responsible association, instead of causing trouble and mayhem as rumoured by NURTW.”
The keke riders admin secretary accused the NURTW  of taking advantage of the struck out  case to misinform residents of the state.

 “It is amazing and disheartening  that members of the NURTW and some unscrupulous  elements have  been going about , mischievously  spreading  false information and malacious reports  that our case was dismissed, instead of struck out  and that the court had  declared them winners , contrary to the clear, conspicuous and unambiguous  contents of the afore said judgement, delivered on the 12th day of June 2012”
Olaore called on the public to disregard such reports and stated  that “Consequently,  it is instructive to state and inform the general public  that we are still in court and pursuant to the much cherished rule.”
He also implored the general public that, “the status  quo remains the same and our association   should be allowed to continue to use and operate  from our various parks and garages in respect of which we have permit from the relevant authourities.”

Olaore, who spoke om behalf of the national chairman of the association , Comrade Moses  Buhari  however threatened that , “Any attempt  to prevent our association  from the use of our parks  and garages or subject our members to any form  of intimidation, harassment or maltreatment  is tantamount to contempt of the court , illegality and direct invitation to anarchy , chaos  and breakdown of law and order.
“The attempt of which we shall resist with every legal machinery at our disposal and other reasonable means.”
Dauda Ganiyu , the  vice chairman of the Lagos State executive council of  Three Wheelers Beneficiaries, Operators Association in an affidavit  sworn in support of the refiled case  accused the Lagos State government and the state ministry of transportation of  using their officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force  to intimidate and harass members  of the association.

He also sworn that  the Lagos State government had frustrated attempts by the keke riders association to elect new members of executive  and that officials of the Lagos State ministry of transportation were coercing them to either join NURTW or  Incorporated Trustees of Keke Owners  and Riders Association of Nigeria.
The chairman of the Lagos State council of NURTW , Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede  distanced his association from any  malicious spreading of information on the suit.
He claimed that his union had no reason to go out and start telling members of the public that they had won a case which involved the Lagos State government.