Governor Dapo Abiodun has warned transport unions in Ogun State against arbitrary increases in transport fares, saying they must not punish commuters.
Abiodun gave the warning on Thursday at the Ake Palace Pavilion in Abeokuta during a rally at which nine transport unions endorsed the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The transport unions, under the aegis of Transport Alliance for Yayi, are the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ogun State Park Management Services Limited (OGSPAM), Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), and Articulated Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (AMORAN).
Others include Owners of Motorcycle Organisation (ROMO), Tricycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (TORAN), Three Wheelers Operators and Riders Association (TWORA), and Riders and Owners of Tricycle Organisation (ROTO).
Governor Abiodun stated that his administration had constructed or reconstructed more than 1,700 kilometres of roads, built an airport and implemented a multimodal transport master plan to create an enabling environment for the transport sector to thrive.
He said that having made the investments, the government expects operators to put the interests of citizens first.
“Now, I am asking you as your governor, having done all this for you, we not only expect you to make money from it, but also to use your sector for the benefit of our citizens. Do not allow them to suffer. Do not increase transport prices arbitrarily,” Abiodun said.
“We have reconstructed or constructed over 1,700 kilometres of roads across the length and breadth of this state. By doing so, we have created an enabling environment for your sector to not only thrive but to succeed.
“We are giving you the opportunity to generate revenue on behalf of government and also make something for yourself. We have even gone further. We have built the best airport in the history of this country. We have executed what we call our multimodal transport master plan. All for your benefit,” he added.
Chairman of the planning committee and State Secretary of RTEAN, Aare Tiwalade Akingbade, described the joint endorsement as historic, saying it was the first time the unions were collectively endorsing a governorship candidate.
“This is historical because this is the first time we are coming out to endorse a governorship candidate. We are doing this because you are capable and we have seen your track record,” he said.
Responding, Adeola pledged to sustain the development trajectory of the state, saying Ogun residents were poised for greater development.
“I can tell you that the people of Ogun State are about to witness the biggest development in the history of this state,” he said.
Adeola said he would not allow what he described as mediocrity and personal interests to determine the future of the state.
“We will continue to grow higher and higher and higher and higher. We can never relinquish this state to mediocre, to power grabbers, to people who only want to satisfy their personal gain. Ogun State deserves better,” he said.
Also speaking, National President of ACOMORAN, Alhaji Shamsudeen Apelogun, said transport unions are important stakeholders in the state’s economy and must scrutinise candidates’ records before making political choices.
Don’t punish commuters with arbitrary fare hikes – Abiodun warns Ogun transport unions