By RUKAYAT ADEYEMI

The Lagos State Parks and Garages Administrators (LASPAGA) has advised the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shelve its protest scheduled for Monday.

LASPAGA Secretary, Alhaji Abdulrahman Amusan, in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, charged TUC to get its facts right before holding a “needless protest”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TUC had, on Friday, threatened to shut down economic activities in Lagos State on Monday.

The union said that the planned protest was due to the state government’s ban on the activities of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).

It alleged that the state government was interfering in the activities of RTEAN.

Amusan advised TUC not to be dragged into the ‘stormy waters of transport union’ by former RTEAN Chairman, Alhaji Musa Mohammed, now national treasurer of TUC.

He explained that the April 18 judgment by the National Industrial Court (NIC) did not affect the creation of LASPAGA, adding that the case was still pending at the Court of Appeal after the union filed an appeal.

“In times past, the TUC is known to be a pro-masses organisation, as its fundamental objective is to protect workers from tyranny and exploitation.

“We are surprised that some people have hijacked the union for selfish and personal gains, thereby putting the integrity of the union on the line.

“We need to state that the suspension of RTEAN was orchestrated by its members because of Mohammed’s leadership style which didn’t go down well with its members.

“The crisis at Iyana Iba then prompted the Lagos State Government to intervene to foster peace, law and order.

“We advise that the Festus Osifo-led TUC to thoroughly review its action to save the remaining respect people still have for the union and use its energy to put its own house in order,” Amusan said. (NAN)

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