Motor Parks Levies: Lawyer Petitions Police Over Lagos, Oluomo, Others Alleged Disobedience To Court Orders
A lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Alabi, over continuous refusal of Lagos State government, Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya, a.k.a. MC Oluomo, transport Unions and others, to a Court order, which restrained them from collecting levies from all motor parks in the State.
It would be recalled that Justice Peter Lifu of a Lagos Federal High Court,had on May 24, 2022, restrained the State government, MC Oluomo, NURTW, RTEAN, NARTO, Alhaji Mohammed Musa, Alhaji Lawal Yusuf Othman and the Lagos State Government from levying, taxing and or extorting ANY union dues, Garage/Motorpark levies and or Bus-Stop taxes from Commercial Transport Drivers in Lagos State, while granting an Exparte application filed and argued by Ogungbeje, on behalf of himself and members of a new transport union, Transport Union Society of Nigeria (TUSON), in a suit numbered FHC/L/CS/224/2022.
The judge also restrained the Lagos State Government from continuous collection of N800, 00, daily taxes from Commercial Transport Drivers in Lagos State.
Ogungbeje in a petition captioned; “order of court in the suit No: FHC/L/CS/224/2022, between Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje Vs. National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) & Others: strong demand for immediate compliance and enforcement of the order of court against nurtw rtean NARTO and lagos state government without any further delay,” called on the Lagos State Police commissioner, to use his good office to call the affected Transport Unions, persons and authorties to order, for the sole purpose of strict obedience and compliance with the order of Court, so as to forestall breakdown of law and order in the State.
The acknowledged copy of the petition sighted by newsdishng.com reads in part: “The above subject matter refers. We write with high sense of responsibility and duty to bring to your attention the Order of Court granted on the 24th of May 2022 by the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division (CORAM Hon Justice P. LIFU) against the NURTW, RTEAN, NARTO and the Lagos State Government.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Court specifically restrained the NURTW, RTEAN, NARTO and Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (MC OLUOMO), Alhaji Mohammed Musa, Alhaji Lawal Yusuf Othman and the Lagos State Government from levying, taxing and or extorting ANY union dues, Garage/Motorpark levies and or Bus-Stop taxes from Commercial Transport Drivers in Lagos State. The Court also went ahead to restrain the Lagos State Government from continuous collection of N800 (Eight Hundred Naira) daily taxes from Commercial Transport Drivers in Lagos State.
“Kindly find enclosed the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the Order of Court for your kind perusal as settled and trite law that Order of Court no matter how palpably null and void remains valid and subsisting until it is set aside. Thus parties affected or cited by Order of Court have a corresponding duty and unrepentant obligation to abide by the Order of Court.
“it is utterly preposterous and alarming that despite the valid and subsisting order of court, the affected Transport Unions, cited persons and indeed the Lagos State Government have continued to treat the the order of court with flagrant disdain as if they are above the law by their continuous extortion and or collection of the retrained levies, taxes, dues and or money from Commercial Transport Drivers and Riders in Lagos State without qualms.
“In the light of the foregoing, we are using this medium to strongly call and beckon on you to use your good offices to call the affected Transport Unions, persons and authorties to order for the sole purpose of strict obedience and compliance with the order of Court so as to forestall breakdown of law and order in Lagos State. After all, the Police as a law enforcement agency is a party to the above Order of Court and pending lawsuit.
“TAKE NOTICE that we shall await obedience and compliance with the Order of Court until Wednesday the 8th of June 2022 before calling for radical resistance and mass protests by Commercial Transport Drivers and Riders in Lagos State against the brazen continuous and wiliful disobedience to order of Court by the affected Transport Unions, persons and Lagos State Government.”
