RTEAN: Lagos tells TUC to suspend protest, says it’s needless

The Lagos state government has told the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to suspend the planned protest scheduled for Monday in the state.

The union announced a one-day protest over the state government’s ban on the operations of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

Festus Osifo, the TUC president, said the failure of the governor to obey the court order that reinstated activities of RTEAN in the state necessitated a protest.

“If there is no solution in sight then there is going to be a total shutdown in Lagos,” he warned.

But in a statement on Sunday, Gbenga Omotoso, the Lagos commissioner of information and strategy, said the protest is unnecessary considering that the government has appealed the judgment and “has a pending application for a stay of execution of the said judgment”.

He said the union is only using the planned protest to “arm-twist and intimidate the government”.

“Therefore, the protest will be in breach of the Rule of Law, which expects both parties to maintain the status quo, pending the determination of the application for a stay of execution and appeal. 

“The planned protest is of no need and is meant to arm-twist and intimidate the government, considering all the efforts being made to resolve the matter amicably. 

“TUC/RTEAN should embrace dialogue. It is better and safer for our economic and social well-being.”

In September 2022, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, ordered the suspension of the transport association, citing violence in parts of the state for the decision. 

In April 2023, a national industrial court in Lagos ordered the reinstatement of the transport association.

Maureen Esowe, the presiding judge, had said the suspension of the union’s activities by the government was illegal and restrained the state from interfering with the operations of the union’s executives.