brekensa:
Ha.. hope she is finally out of naija before revealing this

newswires:
Would have Trump allowed all these?

There are growing concerns over unruly activities of Agberos, otherwise known as motorpark touts, on Lagos roads.

Originally, agbero is a Yoruba word for a tout who scouts for passengers for commercial drivers and helps to carry luggage at motor parks. However, they have recently expanded their activities by positioning themselves at bus stops, imposing levies on commercial drivers, tricycles and motorcycle riders.

Armed with a cane or stick sometimes, and in some cases with markers to label and identify buses of drivers they had collected fees from, Agberos use force and extra-judicial tactics to extort money with impunity from commercial drivers and conductors. Their operations are becoming fiercer in Lagos, at times leading to chaos and deaths as they often operate under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and are usually brutal to bus operators who hesitate to pay levies.

Despite the enactment of the Lagos State Traffic Law on August 3, 2012, which banned their activities at motor parks and bus stops, The Guardian investigation has revealed that touts still operate at bus stops across the metropolis. At bus stops, they impose levies such as ‘Owo weekend, Owo loading,’ ‘Owo Olopa (for police),’ ‘Owo Task Force,’ ‘Owo Organising,’ ‘Owo Traffic’ and ‘Owo Environmental’. Sometimes, they destroy vehicles and obstruct traffic without fear of being challenged by government authorities. They are also ready tools for desperate politicians. The unruly behaviour of touts terrifies residents and visitors to the mega city.

Since 2012, Agberos have expanded their presence in Lagos and increased prices of tickets and other illegal collections from commercial motorcyclists, tri-cyclists and commercial bus drivers. Aided by men of the Nigeria Police Force and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), agberos, are laws and lawmakers at bus stops across.

It was reported that transport unions operating in Lagos State, make as much as N123.078 billion yearly. According to a recent report by International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), the estimate came from what was paid by commercial buses, tricycles and motorbikes operators in the metropolis.

Going by the figure provided by Motorcycle Operators’ Association of Lagos State (MOALS), there are 37,000 commercial motorcycles in Lagos. By implication, motorcycle riders pay N22.2 million to agberos each day, N666 million each month, and N8.103 billion each year. In total, commercial buses, tricycles and motorcycles pay N123.078 billion to agberos in Lagos each year. The N123.078 billion generated by agberos each year amounts to 29.4 per cent of Lagos State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N418.99 billion in 2020.

The amount, according to the report, is bigger than the IGR of any other state. The amount is made through forceful collection of levies, forceful removal of parts of vehicles, and physical assault on drivers and conductors.

In a chat with The Guardian, a member of the NURTW, who preferred not to disclose his identity, said: “May God help us. We are doing this job not to steal or sit at home. At my bus stop, I deliver N8, 000 to the union daily, while the rest of the money is mine. At times, I may not realise up to N8000 and they also reason with us. Market is usually dry during holidays and they understand that. “Two officers of the NURTW come to the bus stop daily to collect money for food. We went through hell before realising the money, but we can’t do anything. We are family men with wives and children. We also rely on some drivers’ goodwill and they dash us money.”

He explained that each branch has a chairman who comes around to collect money and delivers to the unit and the unit delivers to the “main man.” On the charges, he said: “We charge a driver N300 if he comes to our bus stop empty and from that N300, N200 is for loading while N100 goes to the task force. But we have licence to collect N50 from anyone that picks up to five passengers.”

An okada rider, who identified himself simply as Mohammed, said: “We pay N600 for ticket per day while they charge us N500 weekly and anyone who fails to collect a ticket on time would be charged N2000 before his bike will be released to him.” A tricycle operator in Oshodi, who does not want his name in print said: “We pay N1,600 for ticket per day.

He added: “A trip used to cost N50 per passenger but we had to increase it to N100 because of the money they collect from us. We also deliver to tricycle owners. We have no other option but to increase the fares. We are not comfortable. We feel cheated but we can’t do anything".

Speaking with The Guardian, a commercial driver, Mr. Babatope Abiodun, said: “Agbero don’t obey laws; they act as if there is no government. Their atrocities in Lagos are too many and there is nobody to check them; that’s why they have free rein; they are just in their own world. They don’t care. Immediately they see us, all they say is ‘Owo mi da’ (Where is my money) as if they gave us money to keep.”

A resident, Andrew Okah, urged the government to enforce its laws but an official of the Ministry of Transportation, when contacted, blamed the police for not enforcing the law.

The official, said he hopes that the new transport programme of the state would naturally phase out yellow buses and reduce activities of touts on Lagos roads.

Hon. Adebowale Ajayi, Ekiti State All Progressives Congress, APC, Publicity Secretary, explains why he is spearheading the move for Governor Kayode Fayemi to join 2023 presidential race

What informed the decision of your party to endorse Governor Kayode Fayemi?

The statement I made was my personal opinion, we have not discussed this at the state executive level, but as the state Publicity Secretary of the party, an insider, I owe it a duty to support him whenever he eventually shows interest. And more importantly, those people who went to Oyo to meet the Alaafin and other people, (senator) Adeyeye and the so-called stakeholders, were there on behalf of Ekiti which I believe was not the right thing because most of them were on suspension, they don’t have the right to speak for the party, at least for now.

Some members of your party who described themselves as ‘stakeholders’ have come out against your position

Those people who claimed to be stakeholders that dissociated themselves from the statement are on suspension, they have not been taking part in the activities of our party, they operate from outside and, as a matter of fact, they are on their own. Let’s wait and see, when we get to the bridge we will cross it. We are all playing politics. By the special grace of God, we are in charge of the party in Ekiti. The executive was dissolved lately and we were made to now operate as caretaker, we are still very much in charge of the party and the governor is doing well. When the time comes, we will convince him to run. Like I told you, we have qualified, notable and loyal party members in Ekiti and Governor Kayode Fayemi is one of them, we have as many as possible and that is why I said this time around, Ekiti will be showing interest. We will love that the presidency comes to Ekiti, we don’t want to play second fiddle any longer. That is why we showed interest in the Deputy National Chairmanship seat of the party which Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo vacated but the issue has become a thing of the past now because the exco has been dissolved. A caretaker has been instituted to prepare ground for the next convention, and we are prepared to slug it out with other South-West states.

Why the choice of Fayemi?

As far as Ekiti is concerned, Fayemi is the most qualified, he has the capacity and he is very diligent. We are dragging him to contest the presidential race because he has done very well in Ekiti. He brought back the glory of the state. We know how the immediate past administration ran the state aground but because of the quality leadership brought by Fayemi people are now respecting Ekiti as the ‘Fountain of Knowledge’.

Are you aware of a South-West Agenda, raised by some prominent Yoruba figures to project the National Leader of your party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for the 2023 presidency?

I don’t know what we have as South-West Agenda. What I know is that Ekiti will vie for that position (presidency) after the convention. Tinubu has not told us in Ekiti that he is running and, like I said, Ekiti is not ready to play a second fiddle this time around. As far as Ekiti is concerned, we are not aware and, if Tinubu is running, when we get to the bridge we will cross it.

IMAMofWAR:
fake award. how can rema be best male with that useless voice and music. drunk people

angelfallz:


Woman by Rema is not bad. Especially the, I too like woman, I too like woman
Me I no dey gboran, me I no dey gboran
I too like woman, I too like woman
Me I no dey gboran, me I no dey gboran
Sa koloweko eh (oweko)
Sa koloweko eh (oweko)
Ikebe wamé jar
Jar one, jar two, jar three

Meenatnigeria:
Rema again? When we have artistes with sensible lyrics and won’t be nominated

VonTrapp:
One of them must bring home the award.
Please vote for either Rema or Burna Boy here

https://www.mtvema.com/en-africa/vote/