NIGERIA (Lagos) – Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola has been petitioned by members of the Lagos /Ogun Tipper Workers Welfare Association of Nigeria (LOTWWAN), Allied Trucks Transporters Association of Nigeria (ATTAN), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and the First Nigeria Tipper, Lorry and Driver Association of Nigeria (FIRST NIGERIA) to look into the alleged use of force by the Union of Tipper and Quarry Employers of Nigeria (UTQEN) to rule them.

The drivers’ business is haulage of sand, granites and gravel in Southwest, especially Lagos.

In a statement released by the unions’ lawyer Olakunle Hassan, it read thus; “The Ministry of Transport, by the act, has generated a situation which can only breach peace and security in the state by granting provisional approval for tipper quarry operations in the state to the UTQEN.

Members of UTQEN, they said, had employed thugs aided to disturb their members.

“The thugs beat up our drivers and damaged our vehicles due to their refusal to pay revenue to them,” the unions said.

The unions reminded the state government that they are independent of UTQEN and cannot be regulated.

“We would Constitution guarantee that ‘Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any other association for the protection of his interest’. The constitution therefore rejects this kind of imposition by a minority organisation.

“As we are not members of UTQEN, we reject the collection of revenue by UTQEN. We demand that the state government direct UTQEN to stop the use of thugs to harass us and demand payments from us.

“We demand that your Excellency direct the Ministry to cancel the provisional approval issued to UTQEN on the July 18, 2013, which is the main source of this crisis.

“We have always operated within the confines of the law and have paid our taxes to government agencies as at when due. The primary reason for the formation of our unions is to cater for the welfare of our members,” the unions added.