Transport Union Raises Alarm Over Illegal Taskforces

The President, Rivers
Transport Co-operative Union (RTCU), Comrade Binoye Sunday, has raised an alarm over the activities of some hoodlums who impound vehicles extort money and assault members of the union in the name of revenue taskforce working for Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (PHALGA) and Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State.
Sunday, made the call in an interview with The Tide in his office in Port Harcourt, recently.
He said the call became necessary following the sufferings and pains which the self-employed and law abiding drivers undergo in the hands of these touts.
According to him, it is disheartening that four vehicles belonging to his members are currently in the custody of the Port Harcourt City Council and wondered where the caretaker committee chairman derived that Constitutional Power to put his members and their families in penury.
The union boss also challenged the constitutional provision that allowed a caretaker chairman to sell waste baskets, stickers and tickets as well as all kinds of inscriptions to the helpless commercial drivers on a daily basis and at exorbitant prices, pointing out that their activities had made RTCU to understand that there is another constitution in Nigeria that empowered daily tax collections.
“In the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section Seven, 4th schedule, specifically spelt out the functions of the local government councils clearly,” he said, and enjoined the LGA’s to operate within the ambit of their constitutional rights or provision, so that they do not take the laws into their hands in the name of revenue drive.
The president further opined that he was confused on who to complain to, as there are indications that law enforcement agents in the state have compromised with local government councils on the illegal business, but appealed to the new Commissioner of Police to critically investigate and bring the perpetrators to book for the interest of the motoring public in Rivers State, including commercial drivers.

Collins Barasimeye