17 months after, Lagos lifts ban on RTEAN

The Lagos State Government yesterday lifted the ban on the activities of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in the state.

The government said this was in furtherance of the administration’s quest to foster peace and smooth working relationship among union members in the transportation sector.

Daily Trust reports that the state government in September, 2022, placed a ban on the association following pockets of violence recorded in Ojo and Lagos Island by members of the union.

The government then set up the Lagos State Parks and Garages Administrators Committee to manage RTEAN parks.

But RTEAN challenged the decision in court, and in April, 2023, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NIC) sitting in Lagos nullified the appointment of an ad hoc committee put in place by Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu to run the affairs of RTEAN in the state and reinstated the elected leadership of the union.

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The labour movement in one of its protests and negotiations with the federal government also demanded the suspension of RTEAN in the state.

But yesterday, the Special Adviser (SA) to the Governor on Transportation, Hon Sola Giwa, said the government took the decision to lift the suspension after careful consideration and extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, including members of the association, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the public, adding that the Lagos State Parks and Garages Administrators Committee had been dissolved with immediate effect.

He explained that the decision was made in the best interest of promoting unity and peaceful coexistence, ensuring the smooth operation of transport services within the state, as well as helping to foster a more collaborative relationship between the government and the transport union, ultimately leading to improved services for the public.