The Cankerworm of NURTW “Agbérós” and the NURTW: What is the Relationship? -By Ibrahim Rukayat Ololade

Right from the inception of human existence, there exists alongside the concept of mobility either geographically or occupationally which requires the use of transportation of any kind. The means of transportation applicable to Human beings are of various kinds such as air, water, land, to mention but a few and at that due to some factors such as cost, easy accessibility, and life risks; people tend to use land transportation frequently except if the destination is abroad or overboard.

For this reason, the case of Nigeria like some other countries, the government make provision for seamless transportation by establishing a ministry which is saddled with the responsibility to ensure the safe, fast, convenient, Integrated mobility of people and goods within the shore of the country as well inter-country and subject to it, is the National Union of Road Transport Workers which is one of the bodies that oversee the affairs of transport workers.

The NURTW is an independent body that serves the interest of the transport workers in the road transport sector which include Bus drivers, motorbike riders, lorry, and long vehicle drivers; and as a sector, there’s a need for her to generate revenue for the government, which would be conversely used by the government to sustain the ministry.

Based on findings, those legalized to collect dues from the transporters and make revenue for the union are those who are once driver but couldn’t drive any longer because they are indisposed through a motor accident or a trained driver who is yet to get a vehicle for financial reasons and/or needed to secure a source of sustenance.

Oftentimes, we all wonder what the duties of the Hobo and the indolent miscreants with hostile intentions towards the transporters are? Who also engage in illicit acts in various motor parks, cause chaos and terror under the guise of working for the union, Well! they are the assumed “Agberos” who are trying to make money unscrupulously in an apathetic manner and are succeeding due to the unrestricted nature of the transportation market: free entry and exit.

Most of these assumed “Agberos” deify themselves in various parks due to their indolent and lack of willingness for work and have penetrated into the skin of the union and as such brought discord among workers; which also make passengers contempt the union, not only the passengers but the general public except those who benefit from the social chaos they mastermind.

In lieu of this, in order to correct the reputation of the union, various apparatus have been devised to scrap, if not curb the indulgence of these assumed “Agberos” in various parks in order to assure peaceful coexistence.

The utmost measures imbibed by the union are the introduction of the task force, registration of transport workers, sensitization of members; to mention but a few.

Thus, the popular dictum which goes by the saying “the idle hand is the devil’s workshop” serves as the basis for the assumed “agbéró’s” activities.

IBRAHIM Rukayat Ololade is an undergraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-ife. She can best be contacted via ololaderukayat8@gmail.com