Dispatch riders have lamented what they described as multiple extortions by Ogun and Lagos state governments, as well as some Federal Government agencies.
As such, the riders said they were contemplating an indefinite strike action, effective Thursday. According to the operators, who spoke to our correspondent, a total of four tickets amounting to N25, 000 are issued to them by the Lagos and Ogun states, Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Nigerian Postal Service.
They explained that riders pay N3,600 for the Lagos State Rider’s Card; N2, 500 to Ogun State for a similar card, N10, 000 to NIPOST; and N8000 to the FRSC. According to them, this amounts to N25,100 per rider.
The Managing Director, BTC Deliveries, Mr Philips Ojo, said, “I do logistics business. The issue we are being faced now is that of multiple rider cards for dispatchers.
“Right now, we are heading towards having four riders’ cards before we can operate. Before now, we were issued rider’s cards from Lagos and Ogun state governments. But recently, the FRSC has mandated that all dispatch riders should have a class A driver’s licence and they have been impounding our bikes in numbers.
“Just this week again, NIPOST, the body charged with regulating the practice of courier and logistics in Nigeria has also started issuing its own driver’s licence, which will make a total of four driver’s licences for dispatch riders.
“We feel this shouldn’t be at all. If NIPOST wants to truly regulate the sector, they should meet with the relevant stakeholders to adopt a unified driver’s licence for dispatch riders? I think having four rider’s cards is not a good way to promote and sanitise the industry.”
According to another operator, Taiwo James, the government is trying to kill the business with the high rates.
He said, “The government is not making this business a lucrative one at all. We crave for good regulation of the business sector so that we can all thrive.
“We feel there is a plan to monopolise the sector for some people. I have not heard of a country where dispatch riders have four rider’s cards, why can’t we have one unified card? Asides from this, extortion from the local government boys is on increase. If you see the way they harass us, it is on another level.
“I feel NIPOST is not living up to its responsibility, the industry is going down daily and this is why we want to embark on a protest on Thursday to show our grievances to the government that this is enough. Let the right thing be done.”
An operator, Justice Lucky, said the operators were not sure about whether the government was seeking to support the growth of the Small Medium-scale Enterprises or not.
He recalled that the Lagos State House of Assembly had in 2021 directed that the extortion of dispatch riders in the state should be stopped. He, however, wondered why the state government officials did not obey the assembly’s directive.
Another operator, Mr Appolo Godsjudge, added that local governments also issue their own rider’s cards, which is different across the various local governments.
He, however, said the proposed strike action might be difficult to achieve because operators function as separate entities.
An operator, Mr Bright Aghogban, said, “What they collect ranges from N1, 000 upwards. Every state agency has what they collect. It is crazy and unbearable situation. I have not heard about the strike because I actually do not belong to the association of dispatch riders.
“We have complained to NIPOST and they said they will liaise with the Lagos State government to come up with a document that will take care of all these charges so that when you comply, it would give you access to all parts of Lagos but I tell you, what is going on in the state is a lawless situation”
When contacted, the Lagos State Commissioner of Information, Gbenga Omotosho, said, “Won’t they collect a card for riding in Lagos State? If you operate in a state, why won’t you collect cards from the state?
“They pay for an operational licence , say about N5,000, and I don’t think something is wrong with that. I don’t think it is too much.”
The General Manager Corporate Communications, NIPOST, Mr Franklin Alao, said riders needed to register with NIPOST according to its laid down regulations. He added that the agency was opposed to the extortions and was engaging with stakeholders to solve it.
He said, “For instance, we have been engaging the Lagos and Ogun state governments, local government authorities, and other relevant sister government agencies such as the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency and Federal Road Safety Commission on this challenge.
“Operators are encouraged to report such illegalities to law enforcement agencies in their location. As a regulatory agency, we are doing everything to maintain an enabling environment for all operators who are contributing their own quota to Nigeria’s economic growth.” (Punch)
