The Professional E-hailing Driver and Private-Owner Association of Nigeria(PEDPAN) is using this opportunity to call the attention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Lagos State Commissioner of Transportation to as a matter of urgency and in the interest of tax payers in Lagos State probe the reasons why the over 1000 cars acquired for the purpose of Smart City Movement Initiative are currently not operating effectively on Lagos road as expected but rather end up in the hands of private individuals and allies of cabal who have little or nothing to do with e-hailing transportation services in the State.
Contrary to the actual model upon which the Lag-ride modern transportation system was initiated where PEDPAN offered an expertise knowledge into the development and design of the App features and strategy. We have observed that the project has been hijacked by some element with intention to sabotage the real developmental and empowerment programmes of the administration of Governor Sanwo-Olu and as a result, the targeted beneficiaries of the scheme could not access the program due to unreasonable and hostile conditions created by these conspirators.

The original arrangement between PEDPAN and Lag-ride management which was circumvented was that PEDPAN in conjunction with Yellow Taxi Association will provides verified members to acquire the lag-ride cars while the equity contribution will be provided by government through the recommended banks in form of loan facility, total sum payable within four years hence it’s called Lagos Smart City Empowerment Program but in a selfish move by this cabals, one Mr Idris Oluwaseun shonuga who was the ex-president of PEDPAN now claiming to be national coordinator in his publications, connives and present a private company called Kalidola Logistic Limited collaborated with Lag-ride in place of the stake holder associations and this automatically prevent the project from getting to the hand of the planned beneficiaries. Meanwhile the management of Lag-ride/Ibile Holdings was presented the opportunity to leverage on the strength of PEDPAN as an organised Association with more than enough drivers who already show interest in the initiative before the change in narratives
The stunning display of PEDPAN at the May Day celebration attracted Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attention when the MC accredited the overwhelming displayed to Mr Governor initiative and delivery of brand-new Lag-ride Empowerment Scheme to PEDPAN teeming members without having knowledge that our members have been Swindle of their hard earn money and short-changed at the detriment of the Governor’s empowerment scheme
It was incredible to read a publication headline that PEDPAN link Lagos Ride lease partner to drivers release by Idris Oluwaseun shonuga who claiming to be national coordinator of PEDPAN on 22nd August 2022, where Mr Tumi Adeyemi the CEO/Founder of Zeno Link Technology limited who previously compromised the relationship between PEDPAN and Lag-ride by insisting that Lag-ride does not deal with association but individuals after PEDPAN representatives has vigorously campaign to our members which was why majority of our member paid the initial 17,000 Naira enrolment training and medical fees without giving them the car and without refund. Some have been made to go through the training class and test as well as medical tests evaluation and security background check but were side-lined through inconsistent policies. The few drivers on Lag-ride today got the car on different policy, some are to pay total of 9.5million while others are to pay up to the tune of 12.5 Million Naira, some can use the car on Lag-ride while others use the car privately and offline. these inconsistencies and change in narratives scared away the experienced, Professional drivers, surprisingly to see that majority of the driver on lag-ride today are people without prior knowledge of e-hailing taxi operation in Lagos State but rather people from the neighbouring state that claimed Lagos residence to be eligible for the car as masterminded by one Idris Oluwaseun shonuga resulting into ugly incidence and poor customer service delivery by some of these few drivers. Today lack of adequate number of drivers to pick these cars as cause the project setbacks as rider (Lagosians) will rather take bolt, uber with shorter ETA than wait forever. This in turn has caused the few drivers to lament of lack of trips on the application and some as turn the smart city project to the usual KABU KABU by taking it to Mile 12 to load banana and other perishables
The statement credited to comrade Olusegun Balogun, chairman, Lagos state public service joint Negotiations Council, Trade union chapter, that “We are implementer of state government policies and programmes, and this arrangement is part of the programmes that the government instituted to be more or less like an empowerment, to create job for the populace and residence of Lagos state.” Clearly shown that the strategy adopted by the management of Lag-ride is in deviance from any form of empowerment or creation of job to Lagos residence but a mere exploitation of unemployed populace through diversion of the Lag-ride acquisition from teeming interested, qualify and organized e-hailing drivers in Lagos state who paid mandatory 17,000 naira pre-acquisition, to a third-party lease partner who will end up adding more burden on the drivers when they acquire this car at 7,500,000, in addition with a whooping 17.5% per annum interest rate, Which means addition of #1,312,500 per annum increase and a total of #12,750,000 at the end of 4years. The cost which is exclusion of the 25% commission charges on Lag-ride App for each trip completed, Vehicle registration; Annual Comprehensive insurance; LASG E-Hailing Levy; Android devices loaded with the app to be given to each driver; Installed security gadgets and statutory certification and soft/refresher training.
The management of Lag-ride has failed to take into consideration that even MOOVE AFRICA as a private company also offer similar package of brand new 2021 cars to interested drivers in the e-hailing industry without any form of mandatory pre-acquisition fees, or any equity contribution and without driver going through third-party for only 9.8million in four years, hire purchase yet MOOVE never boast of empowering citizens
The Lag-ride Application Company collection of 25% commission charges on every trip as against 9.8% in driver and 20% uber(2% uber promo) couple with aforementioned burdensome cost and severe conditions is nothing near creation of job or anything to call government empowerment scheme but a disruptive capitalist model hijacked by few individuals to sabotage brilliant initiative of Lagos state governor and further enslaving the teeming Lagosian youths who are barely surviving due to harsh Economy condition in the country, joblessness and the experienced e-hailing driver can not afford those stringent conditions attached to the acquisition of this Lagos Ride supposed empowerment scheme which is resulting to virtually non-existence and scarcity of the cars in Lagos metropolis.
PEDPAN is using this opportunity to call on the general public that we are not in collaboration with Lag-ride as Mr Idris Oluwaseun Shonuga and the cabal and his Kalidola logistic limited has since changed the narratives

We equally want to appeal to the Lagos State Governor (Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu) and the State Ministry of Transportation to without further delay initiate an emergency meeting with the representatives of PEDPAN through the National General secretary Comrade Samuel Orji, Pedpansecretariat@gmail.com to discuss the result oriented strategy that within one month will proffer solutions to all this saboteurs act and reproject the Lag-ride scheme towards the designated success as all the previous efforts and letters to the MD of Ibile holding, Mr Onigbanjo and Zeno Technology limited, CEO Mr Tumi Adeyemi had met with deaf ears even after we submitted modality to Mr Onigbanjo on his request.

Signed
Comrade Jossy Olawale
National Publicity Secretary

The smart city project that is a good initiative from Mr governor is now been mismanagement in the wrong hands.
This is how the leaders start good program and people at grassroot will kill it, meanwhile they will be giving different report to Mr governor. Because they want to cover their mess they have to place some drivers on salary at a time. But all these can't last.