The National President of the National Union of Road Transport Union (NURTW), Alhaji Ibikunle Baruwa, has described the flouting of the interstate movement restriction by “unscrupulous drivers as “most unfortunate and embarrassing.”
The union president also commended the security agencies for their vigilance and expressed his support to the seizure of their vehicles for disobeying the government order.
The transport union boss, however, expressed his members’ worry over the reported plan by the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to sell off the impounded vehicles and the goods therein.
Alhaji Baruwa in a statement, personally signed by him on Monday said: “The National Union of Road Transport workers is a law-abiding organisation that strongly believes in the rule of law.”
“The union supports every policy of the government at all levels. As a member of the Joint Technical Task Team, soon after the inauguration of the task team by the Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Nanono, I gave a directive for issuance of circulars to all the state councils of the union on April 28th 2020.”
He added: “The state councils on getting the circulars, swung into action by embarking on aggressive enlightenment campaign with regards to the rules to be strictly observed by our members who are engaged in the transportation of food, livestock and agricultural inputs across the country.”
“It is, therefore, most unfortunate and embarrassing as a report reaching me indicates that some unscrupulous and greedy truck drivers are now taking advantage of their free movement to convert their trucks to convert their trucks to a passenger vehicle.”
He maintained that “on behalf of the union, I sincerely commend the efforts of the eagle-eyed security agents that effected the arrest of some of the culprits and subsequent impoundment of their vehicles in Enugu, Abia, and Rivers State.”
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“The union, however, expresses worry as the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency Barr Nyesom Wike has threatened to selloff the impounded vehicles and goods their in by public auctions.
“I want to make a passionate appeal to the governor to kindly have a rethink by kindly and graciously rescinding his decision in the interest of justice in the interest of justice and fair play, considering the fact that the owners of the vehicles, including the owners of the goods, allowed their vehicles to convey the food items and livestock, based on the Federal Government directives at avoiding food crisis.”
“The drivers are therefore not aware that the Rivers State Government has put a total restriction on vehicles bringing in essential commodities to the state.”
Alhaji Baruwa also said: “I, therefore, plead with his excellency the governor to kindly release the impounded vehicles and the goods. I also hereby call on the Federal Government to quickly intervene on this matter.
“Meanwhile, I want to further use this medium to call on the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar to make conscious efforts towards prevailing on his men at the various checkpoints along the highways, across the country, who allow these greedy truck drivers, free passages at the checkpoint for reasons known to them to stop the practice, immediately, in order to sustain the war against the spread of the dreaded coronavirus.”
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