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Lagos drivers to embark on strike next week Monday

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The Joint Drivers Association of Nigeria (JDWAN), Lagos State Chapter, on Friday, said their proposed seven days warning strike meant to kick off on Monday, October 31, 2022, remains sacrosanct.

The joint drivers disclosed this at a press briefing, which held at the Right’s House, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos State.

Those expected to participate in the strike are drivers of mini buses (Korope), coaster buses federal Mass Assisted Transit, Mazda buses, T4, LT, Ford and cars who will remove their vehicles off Lagos roads for one week.

Addressing the press conference, the Lead Counsel to the drivers, Ayo Ademiluyi, said the strike action is necessary to protest multiple extortion and violent harassment by members of Lagos State Parks and Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, in conjunction with law enforcement agencies in the state.

According to him, the drivers lose more than half of their income to the motor park boys through exorbitant levies in the garages and bus-stops whether or not they pick or drop passengers.

He kicked against the formation of the parks and garages committee saying this was not backed up by law.

In his address, the National Leader of the association, Comrade Akintade Abiodun said the multiple levies on the joint drivers by the garage boys and law enforcement agents have led to increase in the prices of food items in Lagos compared with other states, as consignments into the state are heavily levied by garage boys and touts who mount road blocks on Lagos roads to extort the drivers.

Narrating one of the ugly incidents the drivers experience in the hands of garage boys and touts, the General Secretary of the association, Ajimatanrareje Feyisayo recounted that a driver, Ademola Anisere was seriously injured and his vehicle damaged by garage touts in Badagry, about a month ago, for failure to remit the early morning levies at one of the bus-stops.

Anisere was said to be coming out of his home to pick passengers when some garage touts swooped on him and all his pleas that he was just starting the day’s work fell on deaf ears and he was beaten Black and Blue while his vehicle was damaged.

‘’70% of our daily earnings go to the coffers of garage boys and touts. From Badagry to Mile 2, we pay between N3,500 and N5,000 at 25 illegal tolls created by motor park hoodlums, who collect from N200 to N300 per bus.

‘’From Seme Park, we pay N7,100 before the first trip, yet, we forcefully pay levies at the 25 illegal tolls. On federal mass and Coaster buses, we pay N12,000 and above on each trip from Oko-Afo to CMS which includes loading charges at various bus-stops.

‘’from Ogijo to Ikorodu, we pay N5,500 and above excluding garage ticket (N850), chairman ticket (N1,700), King’s levy (N200), Ita-Oluwo (N500), Ile-Epo-Oba (N200) and N900 for picking or dropping passengers.

‘’red buses from Ikorodu to Oshodi pay N5,000 while buses plying Yaba to Ikeja, Ketu to Oyingbo and several other areas are forced to pay beyond their nose to avoid their vehicles being damaged.

‘’To make the matter worse, the garage boys and touts have the backings of the state government to unleash terror on innocent drivers. We are the professional drivers but garage boys and touts are making life unbearable for us. They are usually on the road with sticks, rods, pipes and cutlasses to snuff life out of innocent drivers’’ He added.

The State Chairman of the association, Opeyemi Sulaiman urged the government to look into the yearnings of the drivers before it is too late. ‘’We are professional drivers, garage boys and touts are not licensed but are battle ready to cause chaos on the roads. We have reported them to the state government on several occasions but nothing was done,’’

Ademiluyi listed the demands of the drivers to include: Scrapping of unlawful levies across the state other than that of the state government, the state government to present a proof that the parks and garages committee is backed by the law and creation of more bus-stops for Lagos transporters apart from that of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

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KFC apologises to Gbenga Daniel’s son over discriminatory treatment

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Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Nigeria, an international fast food restaurant chain, has issued an apology to Adebola Daniel, son of Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Ogun state, over discriminatory treatment.

In a statement on its X page on Thursday, the fast-food chain expressed deep regret for the distress experienced by the customer and pledged swift action to address the issue.

On March 27, Daniel posted on his official X page about his experience at the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) branch.

According to Daniel, the restaurant had stopped him and his family from entering, stating that “no wheelchairs were allowed”.

Following his statement, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on March 28, said it had shut down KFC over discrimination against Daniel.

FAAN instructed KFC management to tender an unreserved apology, in writing, to Daniel, and a policy statement of non-discrimination be written and pasted conspicuously at its door post at MMIA before it resumed operation.

Reacting to the accusation, KFC reiterated its commitment to opposing bias or discrimination in any shape or form, with inclusivity and respect as fundamental principles of its values.

“KFC is unwavering in our stance against bias or discrimination in any form, with inclusivity and respect as non-negotiable pillars of our values,” the company said.

“However, this recent incident has underscored the pressing need for immediate action. We have embarked on efforts to address the situation.

“We deeply regret the frustration and distress experienced by our guest and extend sincere apologies to those affected.

“In response, we are urgently implementing inclusion training for all our employees. This incident is not reflective of our standards, and we will act swiftly to rectify it.

“We are actively exploring actions to equip our team members and restaurants better to ensure that every guest feels genuinely welcomed and that we deliver empathetic customer service that proactively addresses the diverse needs of each guest.”

‘FCCPC CONDEMNS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CONSUMERS’

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) condemned the discrimination against Daniel.

In a statement on Thursday, Adamu Abdullahi, FCCPC’s acting executive vice chairman (EVC) and chief executive officer (CEO), said the commission strongly condemns any form of discrimination against consumers, especially those based on disability.

Abdullahi said the commission would work with relevant authorities to ensure appropriate redress for the aggrieved consumer.

He said the commission would also ensure KFC took full responsibility for its actions.

The EVC said section 17 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) emphasises the obligation to eliminate practices detrimental to competition and consumer welfare to safeguard consumer interests.

Abdullahi said discriminatory actions, such as those witnessed at the KFC outlet, undermined their principles and would not be tolerated.

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FRSC to impound vehicles transporting animals and humans together

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The Bauchi command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will prosecute owners of vehicles conveying animals with humans, after impounding the trucks.

NAN reports that Patrick Ikaba, FRSC sector commander in the state, said this on Thursday.

Ikaba said the command has been mandated by the FRSC headquarters to seize vehicles conveying animals and passengers at the same time.

Ikaba said this has become imperative because in the event of a crash, the animals fall on the passengers, compounding the fatality rate.

He added that animals and humans must be conveyed separately.

The sector commander urged the public to desist from the act, adding that FRSC is setting up mobile courts for the offence.

“It is either you are carrying animals or you are carrying passengers and this is very common among big trucks as they have adopted it as a method of loading, which is very dangerous,” Ikaba said.

“We advise that henceforth, where you need to load them, they should be separated.

“It is only just one person that is allowed to take care of the animals while they are being transported from one place to the other.

“The move we are making in this regard is to begin to organise mobile courts where any culprit will be made to face a magistrate and explain why he has to contravene the laws of the land.

“This is very serious and we are going to swing into action any moment from now as we are liaising with the courts and we have the magistrate already on ground to take our cases.”

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FAAN shuts KFC outlet that humiliated Gbenga Daniel’s wheelchair-bound son

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has shut down a KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

This move came less than a day after the airport branch of the fast-food restaurant allegedly humiliated a wheelchair user, Adebola Daniel, the son of former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel.

Sharing his experience, on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Daniel said he was “made to feel “less than human” because of his disability.

He said while passing the time alongside his wife and siblings, at the restaurant ahead of his flight, a manager of the restaurant told him to leave the premises because “No wheelchairs allowed.”

“To be disabled in Nigeria is to be undesirable, unwelcome and unaccepted. As I’ve said before, it’s a lonely, scary and isolated place. Never has this been more true than it has ever been today where I faced the worst sort of public humiliation that I have ever experienced. To think that this happened at an international brand, KFC at an international airport – Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos – is unthinkable,” he said.

Reacting, the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, announced in a statement on Thursday, March 28, 2024, that the restaurant has been shut down.

According to the statement signed by Obiageli Orah, the law clearly states, “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle, or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person.” This legislation underscores the seriousness with which the Nigerian authorities view discrimination, particularly in spaces accessible to the public.

The incident came to light after a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM) reported on social media the unfair treatment they encountered at the KFC outlet within the airport premises.

Reacting to these allegations, FAAN’s MD/CE, Olubunmi Kuku assembled a team to investigate the claims. The team included other officials of the agency such as the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, and the Regional Manager South West, Sunday Ayodele, among others.

Following the investigation, FAAN said the allegations were confirmed to be true and proceeded to close the KFC facility implicated in the discriminatory act.

As part of the corrective measures, KFC management has been instructed to issue a written apology to the affected individual and to publicly display a policy statement of non-discrimination at their facility.

This statement must be visibly placed at the entrance of the KFC outlet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport before the establishment is allowed to resume operations.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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