Be patient, NURTW chairman tells drivers

The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Jigawa, Alhaji Hussaini Umar, has appealed to commercial drivers to be patient over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

Umar made this appeal today in Dutse on while reacting to the increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol as announced by the government.

Yesterday, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr Ibe Ikachukwu, announced the new pump price of N145 per litre from the former price of N86.50 per litre.

He explained that the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari was sincere and meant well for the people of the country, hence, they must support him to succeed.

The chairman said that though they were not happy with the increment, but believed that the President would not introduce any policy to inflict hardship on Nigerians.

According to him, “I am appealing to all our drivers to be patient and be calm; though we don’t really understand the policy yet but I am sure with time, it will be in the best interest of the country.”

Continue Reading

Drivers protest robbery attack, block Ife highway

Drivers of luxurious buses early Monday morning blocked the Ife- Ilesa Expressway to protest the robbery incident which they said happened on the road over night. It was not clear if any life was lost in the accident, but our correspondent gathered that the drivers said the robbers took over the road since last night until early Monday morning.

One of the motorists trapped in the traffic congestion caused by the blockage of the road, Sanya, told Punch correspondent that the protest started around 4am on Monday. Sanya said the protesting drivers said robbery cases were frequent on the road and vowed not to leave the road until the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, came to address them.

He said the policemen who arrived at the scene to restore order were chased away by the irate drivers, who demanded to see the commissioner of police. Sanya said, ” We are close to 1000 vehicles trapped in the traffic snarl now. I have been here for over two hours and there is no exit road to take. We are stuck in the mess.

“Many newspapers delivery vans are here before dawn and there is no way anybody can escape except the road is cleared.” Another motorist, Peter Dada, also told our correspondent that the blockage of the road had frustrated road users caught in the web of the protest.

He called on security agents to increase their presence on the road to prevent robbery cases. The new Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Kola Sodipo, when contacted on the telephone by our correspondent said he had sent his men to the scene. Sodipo said, ” I have sent my men there. I learnt that the robbery didn’t happen this morning but it has happened before.”

-Punch

Continue Reading

Drivers protest robbery attack, block Ife highway

Drivers of luxurious buses early Monday morning blocked the Ife- Ilesa Expressway to protest the robbery incident which they said happened on the road over night. It was not clear if any life was lost in the accident, but our correspondent gathered that the drivers said the robbers took over the road since last night until early Monday morning.

One of the motorists trapped in the traffic congestion caused by the blockage of the road, Sanya, told Punch correspondent that the protest started around 4am on Monday. Sanya said the protesting drivers said robbery cases were frequent on the road and vowed not to leave the road until the state governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, came to address them.

He said the policemen who arrived at the scene to restore order were chased away by the irate drivers, who demanded to see the commissioner of police. Sanya said, ” We are close to 1000 vehicles trapped in the traffic snarl now. I have been here for over two hours and there is no exit road to take. We are stuck in the mess.

“Many newspapers delivery vans are here before dawn and there is no way anybody can escape except the road is cleared.” Another motorist, Peter Dada, also told our correspondent that the blockage of the road had frustrated road users caught in the web of the protest.

He called on security agents to increase their presence on the road to prevent robbery cases. The new Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Kola Sodipo, when contacted on the telephone by our correspondent said he had sent his men to the scene. Sodipo said, ” I have sent my men there. I learnt that the robbery didn’t happen this morning but it has happened before.”

-Punch

Continue Reading