Before we left the park, the driver was already irritated. Who wouldn't be after parting with more than half of the money you just collected from passengers.
All his pleas that LATSMA just released his vechile, after paying a huge amount in fine, feel on deaf ears.
.
Different people came to collect their share of his money. All I was hearing them say is; "owo union", "owo loading", "owo security" "owo morning" etc. The driver was dooling out cash in different denominations. I could see the pain in his eyes, but he had no choice but to pay.
.
As we proceed on our journey, passengers highlited. Then we got to Gbagada, he picked up a passenger dressed in a black polo shirt.
We had moved a bit.
"Oga way your money?" The driver asked.
"I be staff" replied the man.
"Staff of where!!!!!!!!, you be staff for inside your parlour"
I chuckled.
It was almost like someone blew the driver's fuse.
He swerved angrily to the roadside, parked close at UPS bustop. Passengers grumbled some begging the man in black to pay him, others telling the driver to leave the man since he is a police officer.
.
The driver jumped into the vehicle, reached for the man's shirt as passengers scamper for safety.
Once they were out of the van. We were treated to a bout of A grade Las Vegas boxing bout, Grown man punching​ like Mike Tyson.

People were begging them to stop, but everybody was thinking what I was thinking. If I try to stop this fight and one of those punch land on me, walahi, I go need bed rest for 2 weeks.
We were only 3 men in this bus, the woman we beckoning on us to stop them; "brother ejo, elawan! shaybi okunrin ni yin?"
In my mind I was like "ehen ehen, make them go use punch blind my eyes abi?"
I in turn beckon on the other 2 men to please help separate them.
While we were still deliberating on how to stop them, some factory workers around the area saw what was going on from a distance. They came over to stop the fight.

By then the fight had degenerated to Royal rumble wrestling. The two slugging it out on the sand, in the cold harmattan.
Two muscular able bodied men were able to separate them, each holding the two fighters while asking what happened.

When i looked into the eyes of the police man as he tried to explained, I almost screamed "Jesus!"
The kind of lump that has besieged one of his eyes looks like a cancer infection that had been growing for years, lips bloodied and swollen.
The driver seem okay apart from his rumpled clothes & him being held back to prevent him from starting the fight again
.
That was my cue to go, I waved down the next bus, off I go wondering;

Who started this staff thing where police men, soldiers or any government security agencies are exempted from paying bus fare?

They earn salaries like every other workers.

Who gets all the money these "Agbero" collect from drivers. I always thought the richest men in Nigeria are all these Yahoo boys religious leaders in suit scamming folks every other Sunday & Friday but I might be wrong. At least with them you have a choice to keep your money.
These Agbero collect money every day and the drivers do not have a choice.

As the new bus I boarded approached Oshodi, like 10 of these Agbero besiege the bus who is now calling Mile 2 to collect money. The conductor was cooperative, I just sat there knowing deep down in my heart that there is no hope for this Country called # Nigeria


copied from a friend on Facebook.

Welcome to lagos

Nigerians have no idea how rich the NURTW boss is. I think his name is mc olomo or so. he's just an agbero like the rest of them, albeit, the oga at the top, most of the monies are remitted to him and I think some of the money goes to the state government as well -thats why they can't put a stop to it.

Those agberos are at every busstop collecting money from these busses, it is ridiculous.

As for that staff thing, I wonder myself cos am sure it only happens in Lagos.

There are 4 parties that have contributed to this chaotic everyday occurrence on Lagos roads;
1. The Lagos State Government
2. The Transporters (Drivers/Conductors)
3. The Policemen
4. The Citizens

The Lagos state government, because of political gains, has refused to limit the activities of these so-called agberos, allowing them to cause traffic jam and chaos on Lagos roads all in the name of union fees. A little percentage of the money goes to the pocket of the government, but the real reason they have kept those guys active is because they allgedly use them for election rigging/violence as their ''eru iku'' (servant of death). They charge the bus drivers like there's no tomorrow, sometimes I pity bus drivers.

The transporters on their own part have refused to protest/ lodge a complaint to the government or media houses because of lack of exposure and fear of attacks by the NURTW and RTEAN guys (popularly called agbero). They are also aware of the politics of Lagos, so they believe their please will fall to deaf ears. The drivers are also guilty of incomplete vehicle documents such as drivers' licence, registration etc., so the Police takes advantage of that to get their own share of the cake. Also, one of the reasons why most drivers ''carry staff'' is because they won't pay certain fees to the agbero guys once there's an officer in the bus, so it's a symbiotic relationship of some sort.

The Nigeria Police that is tasked with maintenance of law and order have been very disappointing, especially with their negligence on Nigerian roads. Once the NURTW guys settle the nearest Police station, the Police traffic unit doesn't in any way stop them. In areas like Egbeda, Ikotun, Iyana Ipaja, you'll see buses lifting passengers in the middle of the road and the Policemen attached to that particular junction will throway face, if you complain to the driver, what you'll hear is you'' dey craze, I go bash you'' etc. . .

Finally, enlightened Nigerians like us should take advantage of social media in reaching out to the government to complain about this broad daylight menace, especially on Lagos roads. It's such an irony that the Lagos state has plans to transform Lagos into a mega city, but has refused to stop chaos on Lagos roads. Sometimes when I take public transport and I see foreigners like Indians, Lebanese, Chinese & Europeans in their cars, I see the fearful look on their faces due to the roughness they witness on the road everyday. They know Nigerians are used to it but they can't bring themselves to understand why a state will function so roughly! Still, we expect these same set of individuals to invest in our country while the activities on our roads seem like a mass riot. . . .

Seun, lalasticlala (pls guys, this is a serious issue that deserves front page). Merci!