The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos says the failure of successive administrations to invest in the productive development of the youth had increased the menace of motor park touts in the state.

In a statement on Tuesday by PDP spokesman in Lagos, Hakeem Amode, the party said, “The government’s failure in education and youth development sectors had driven a lot of our youth to scavenge for daily collection of fares from transport operators.”

It added, “The recent promulgation of the State Parks Management Authority bill gives credence and legitimacy to this act.”

The PDP appealed to the striking members of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association of Nigeria (JDWAN) to consider commuters’ plights and suspend their strike.

JDWAN commenced a seven-day strike over alleged extortion and harassment from the motor park management and thugs, popularly known as agberos in Lagos.

The major opposition party in Lagos also urged the aggrieved commercial drivers to dialogue with the APC-led government to end the suffering of commuters. It blamed the replacement of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu with the Lagos State Parks Management Authority for the crisis.

PDP alleged that some drivers paid between N7,500 and N2,500 daily to agberos and noted the inflicting of injuries on the drivers by the agberos who extorted them using violence was also a serious concern.

Its governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran and his running mate, Funke Akindele, would “do everything possible to ensure that the era of multiple taxation and collection of illegal dues on the road become a thing of the past,” said the PDP.

“We appeal to the government of the state to respect the spirit of unionism and protection of interest of members of the commercial transport operators’ group by respecting their opinions,” added the statement. “The government must consider their agitation to avoid chaos in an already tense city, where poverty is currently fueling aggravation.” 

(NAN)