Food Crisis Looms In Lagos, As Traders Prepare For Another Strike

Food crisis looms in Lagos State as foodstuffs and cattle dealers prepare for another strike to protest alleged continued extortion and harassment of its members by the police, officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

The Lagos metropolis was three weeks ago thrown into food crisis as the Foodstuffs and Cattle Dealers Association of Nigeria embarked on strike over the same reason.

Yesterday, the association signaled its intention to resume the strike it suspended few weeks ago, saying that despite intervention by Governor Babatunde Fashola, LASTMA, police and FRSC officers had continued to extort money and harass its members.

The association therefore issued a two-week ultimatum to the state government to put things right or face another indefinite strike to press home their demand.

“The refusal of the state agents to stop extorting and harassing its members would compel the association to declare a nationwide strike starting either from April 20 or 21,” said Comrade Kabir Hassan, National Secretary-General of the association.

“Officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Nigeria Police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) have continued to extort and harass our members after Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) set up a committee to address our concern,” he added.

According to him, the association had no choice than to embark on the strike since the issues of multiple taxation, extortion and harassment of its members had not been addressed.

He lamented that things had continued as they were as the named officers had not relented in their nefarious activities, saying that they were pissed off by the situation which its members found themselves.

“The leadership of the association met state government officials on Monday to make their decision known. The traders had met the security chiefs in Lagos State, including Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo and LASTMA Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Young Arabamen, among others.

“The agents have continued to extort money from trailer drivers who brought the foodstuffs from the north to Lagos.  Now they collect between N2, 000 and N3, 000 at each point between Berger and Mile 12 market. And there are nine such points in-between Berger and our market,” he lamented.

“If the trailer drivers refuse to pay, they are beaten by the RRS men or who also deflate the tyres of their trucks. As soon as the tyres are deflated, LASTMA men will pounce on them, saying they have obstructed traffic. The LASTMA men then tow the trucks away with their contents that are perishable,” he added.

Efforts to get Arabamen to react to the story proved abortive as he refused to pick his calls.  He did not reply a text message sent to his mobile phone as at the time of filing this report.

Likewise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa refused to pick his calls.