The National president National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Usman Yasin, says he is on a mission to rebrand the union. He however identifies key intervention areas the government can wade into, to transform the transport sector. He spoke with NANNA SELKUR.
You invited former leaders of the union to the commissioning of the secretariat recently. What informed the decision?
We wanted them to see what they had struggled for, to see it materialised and for us to rejoice together. It was actually a kind of a reunion. We are the pioneers of the union; we have passed through a lot to be where we are today.
Does this union have a legal backing from the Nigerian Constitution?
Yes, we are an affiliate of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
Do you think government’s efforts to introduce the Bus Route Transport (BRT) will come to fruition?
Each state has an obligation to provide mass transit for its citizens, however, some states are using it as a way of generating income for the state and that will not work. Instead, these buses should be bought by government and given to our members as loans. The BRT is a good idea; if you look at the mobility situation in the FCT, it has been a major challenge but with the introduction of BRT, it will ease transportation for resident, especially workers along Nyanya-Mararaba way. If you go there in the evening, you see people lying on the bare floor waiting for vehicles to convey them back home after a hectic day and this is not too good.
With the spate of bomb blasts in the country, people are apprehensive about the safety of the BRT buses. What can the government do to ensure safety of lives on the buses?
There should be security personnel on the buses and not only the buses but also for the entire nation. Government needs to reinforce the security apparatus of this nation. Another aspect I want the government to look into is the construction of good roads because it will help to make the transport sector in Nigeria more efficient, there by easing the task for commuters in terms of going about their businesses
It is believed that politicians usually use some members of the NURTW to carry out nefarious acts during elections. What is you take on that?
My advice is that politics should stand on its own, while the union stands on its own too. I have appealed to our members, at the states and national level, who want to go into politics to go into it on a personal ground, they don’t have to drag the union into it or hide under the guise of the union. You see most of the crises that has erupted in some of branches of the union like that of Ibadan, Oyo state and Delta state is as a result of a few individuals who meddled with politicians during election. So I have always advised our members to desist from such practices.
What plans does the union have towards its growth and how to tackle reckless driving among drivers?
We have what is called Road Accident Health Insurance Scheme(RAHIS) where accident victims are compensated with a sum of N100,000 to N150,000 and a few months ago, about 21 people benefited from this scheme. We are presently using jingles on radio Kaduna to educate drivers and passengers on the need to ensure safety while on the road. We are also planning to produce one in the west and in the south in languages that can be understood by the indigenous people. Caution should also be taken and members of the public must note that anybody that does not wear the green and white uniform at motor parks is not our member and such persons should be avoided. We are doing everything thing possible to see that members are taught how to conduct themselves as responsible members of the society and as decent members of the union at the forthcoming state conference which will be held in all parts of the country.
We are doing this to send a message that we will no longer tolerate any form of indiscipline from our members.
What is the relationship between the NURTW and other sister agencies?
We collaborate effectively with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) but we do not quite agree with the arrangement on ground by Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), who over issues of renewal of drivers’ licences. They are asking drivers to come and renew their licences for N15,000 and we think the rate is too much. We are therefore appealing to relevant government agencies to intervene in the matter, bearing in mind the economic situation in the country.
Does the union see to the management of motor parks?
The motor parks belong to the local governments but it is the union that manages them. Some of our members have taken it upon themselves to manage the parks
Would you like your son to be a driver?
Yes. I am a driver and that is my professon. Before you join this union you have to know how to drive and obtain a drivers’ licence. That is all you need to join this union. Driving has made me what I am today and I am proud to be a driver, because these days even with your degree, you can’t make what they are making at the motor parks.
What motivated you to join the union?
I love driving and I started driving before I joined this union. It was not about the union politics at first, but I was privileged to serve as a financial secretary, treasurer and then vice president before i got to my present position. You don’t need any qualification to be a driver the only qualification you need to join this union is your drivers’ licence and you are a member of this union as long as you are using your vehicle to convey people from one place to another.
How do you feel that graduates are now members of your union?
You see, even PHD holders are members of this union. Some people, who have retired from their jobs and don’t have anything to do as a means of livelihood, also turn to driving.
How is the relationship between you and members of the executive?
You can see for yourself, it is as a result of this cordial relationship that we were able to build this befitting structure, which was commissioned a few months ago. All hands are on deck to see that this union is rebranded.
How do you react to the names given to members of your union, such as agbero?
We are above those names now and all that is in the past. Ever since we put up this structure, the society now sees us in a different light. We are now a corporate union.
What is the union doing concerning the menace of unpainted vehicles, especially those used for criminal activities?
It is the role of the government to ensure that all commercial vehicles are painted. The VIO and other road transport regulatory agencies are saddled with that responsibility and when they meet and come up with regulations, they pass it to us and we ensure that our members comply with such directives.
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