Commercial drivers in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, staged a protest on Wednesday over what they described as persistent extortion by leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the rising cost of petrol.
The drivers gathered at the entrance of the State Secretariat in Abere, calling on the government to intervene as they claimed the financial burden from union levies and the increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has made their operations increasingly difficult.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, the spokesperson for the drivers, Mr. Ebenezer Oyayode, accused union officials of imposing excessive charges and also alleged that uniformed officers frequently harass drivers on the roads.
According to him, tickets that were previously issued for ₦300 are now reportedly sold for between ₦900 and ₦1,200. He also alleged that the union charges about ₦25,000 to assign numbers to minibuses, popularly known as “Korope.”
Oyayode further complained that the absence of designated bus stops in Osogbo has made drivers vulnerable to arrests and extortion by security officers.
He explained that when drivers stop to pick up passengers along the road due to the lack of official bus stops, some officers accuse them of committing traffic violations and allegedly demand as much as ₦5,000 before releasing them.
He also lamented that the continuous increase in petrol prices has significantly reduced drivers’ earnings, noting that many operators now struggle to cover fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, and family expenses.
According to him, if the situation continues, many commercial minibuses may soon be forced off the roads.
Responding to the protest, the Osun State Commissioner for Transportation, Sesan Oyedele, assured the drivers that the government would engage both the union leadership and the drivers’ representatives to address the grievances.
Oyedele said the issue appeared to be largely an internal dispute between the drivers and their union leaders but promised that the government would work toward resolving the matter.
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