Friday 21 December 2012

JAF Reaction to a Malicious Report in the PM News

The News Editor
PM News
Dear Compatriot,
The News Editor
PM News
Dear Compatriot,
Re: PM News Report - Traffic Law: Group Slams Okada Riders, Says Protest Illegal
PLEASE INVESTIGATE YOUR REPORTER – JAMIU YISA
The attention of Joint Action Front (JAF) has been drawn to a malicious and concocted report in the PM News of December 21st 2012 captioned Traffic Law: Group Slams Okada Riders, Says Protest Illegal authored by your reporter by the name Jamiu Yisa.
The said report, which we strongly suspect is at the behest of the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Police Command was, aimed at disparaging the Joint Action Front (JAF), equally undermines the credibility of the PM News.
The malicious report as we reproduce in full reads:
A pressure group, Joint Action Movement, JAM, has described as illegal, the recent protest of some commercial motorcyclists popularly called okada riders against the Lagos State Traffic Law. The group, at rallies held at Agege and Mile 12 this morning, warned the protesters that they risked being charged with contempt of court because their grievance against the law has been adjudicated upon by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Addressing the rallies jointly, the National Coordinator of JAM, Kehinde Olaore and Kola Animasaun, President and General Secretary, respectively, wondered why an aggrieved set of people, who approached the court for adjudication on a matter could thereafter engage in senseless protest after their matter has been thrown out.
JAM dissociated its members from the last protest organised by Joint Action Forum, JAF, and some okada riders. It admitted that it was formerly part of JAF before it decided to engage in activities that are inimical and detrimental to the corporate existence of the country.
While pledging its support to the Lagos State government on the Traffic Law, the group warned against lawlessness and advised protesting okada riders to be guided by law and due process.
Olaore and Animasaun warned the JAF to desist from misleading those they are expected to guide aright.
Let us put the record straight:
JAF notes that the PM News has a record of prompt and effective coverage of the activities of JAF, which are very prominent in local and international media. None of your reporters covering the activities of JAF and other groups in the civil society would have written such malicious report without recourse to the leadership of JAF on such spurious claims by agents-provocateur that they were erstwhile members of JAF.
The Joint Action Front (JAF) and not Joint Action Forum as reported by the Mr. Jamiu Yisa is the pro-labour civil society coalition with irreproachable precedents of struggle on the side of the working people and the poor against exploitative and oppressive policies in its drive towards SYSTEM CHANGE for the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria.
JAF operates on the basis of affiliate organisations who subscribe to its goals. JAF cannot just be joined by the individuals. Thus, Kehinde Olaore and Kola Animashaun are impostors unknown to JAF as they never belonged to any of our affiliates.
We strongly believe that the floated JAM should be in the imagination of Mr. Jamiu Yisa, who, from our preliminary findings, has been exposed as an agent of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) working to undermine the credibility of the PM News.
Also, our findings showed no such rallies as reported by Mr. Jamiu Yisa took place anywhere in Lagos today. It is therefore, in the interest of the PM News and the profession of journalism that Mr. Jamiu should be investigated as to know whose interest is he serving.
Rallies and protests (even the rent-a-crowd government-sponsored) had never escaped the attention of a wide section of the media and the police. Mr. Jamiu needs to explain to the public who Kehinde Olaore and Kola Animashaun are, his invitation to cover the rallies and photographs of the rallies. Mr. Jamiu needs to convince the public of the history of JAM and its capacity to pull two supposedly held rallies in the morning hours as were covered by only him.
Given our high regards for the media, whose objective reporting of JAF’s activities in the past and present are well documented, we will not take Mr. Jamiu Yisa’s misleading and concocted report against the PM News. Instead, we urge the PM News to address the issues we have raised with utmost diligence and save the profession of journalism from being ridiculed by those violating its basic ethics and practice.
We appreciate your prompt treatment of the issue and feedback to the Nigerian public on the fact of the matter.
 
Yours fraternally
Comrade Abiodun Aremu
JAF Secretary

Thursday 20 December 2012

ARREST AND DETENTION CANNOT DETER US! THE MASS PROTEST MUST CONTINUE!!


PRESS STATEMENT

 
The Joint Action Front (JAF) condemns the arrest and detention of five members of the organization on Wednesday December 19, 2012 by the police at the behest of the Lagos state government. Those arrested were Dr. Dipo Fashina, National Chair, JAF, Abiodun Aremu National Secretary, JAF, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Oloyode Usman and Segun Oladunni. 

The activists were later released after they had been detained for about six hours at the Lagos state police command Ikeja. They were asked to report back at the command on Thursday December 20.

The arrest was tantamount to kidnap as the activists were arrested in their car on Yaba-Ojuelegba Road after they had left the Lagos Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) where the peaceful mass protest march organized by JAF in solidarity with okada riders had been formally rounded-off.

It should be recalled that JAF has since Monday December 10 flagged off a series of mass actions to protest the Schedule 2 of the new Lagos traffic law which unleashes brutal attack on livelihood of Okada riders. This anti-poor provision bans the operation of okada riders in 475 roads and restricts their operation to between 6am and 8pm. The action was also to protest the brutality and extortion of okada riders by the police and other government agencies under the guise of the enforcement of the law.

JAF and okada riders have demanded dedication of a special lane for okada operation, stop to the brutality and extra-judiciary repression of Okada workers  and the release of illegally motorcycles impounded and adequate compensation for those destroyed.

The attack on Okada riders is part of the repressive and anti-poor policies and vicious conducts of the Babatunde Fashola government against the poor in Lagos state.  We recall that different sections of the poor in the state daily bear the brunt of cruelty and crudeness which is the thrust of the Lagos state government.

For instance, the children of the poor have been denied access to Lagos state university with outrageous fees, the use of tokunboh (imported used cars) for taxi operation has been banned while many residents of Makoko have been rendered homeless.

JAF holds that the descent to undemocratic and unconstitutional method by the Lagos state government, which incidentally prides itself as progressive, or by any other state government or the federal government will not deter JAF from continuing its actions against the unjust Lagos Road Traffic Law and its solidarity with okada  riders and other sections of the working people  across the country.

We shall resume the mass action against the anti-poor law and police brutality of okada riders soonest.

We appreciate the intervention of legal practitioners who came to the police command to challenge the unlawful arrest and detention of JAF activists and  demanded their release

Dipo Fashina                                                                     Abiodun Aremu
National Chair                                                                                         National Secretary

Saturday 8 December 2012

JAF Leaflet: Anti-Poor Lagos Road Traffic Law and Kick-off of Mass Action


Joint Action Front (JAF)

SUPPORTS

THE OKADA & TRICYCLE OPERATORS!

THEY HAVE HUMAN AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!

IT IS NOT A CRIME TO BE POOR!!

THEY DESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIVELIHOOD!!!

JAF Declares

Monday, DECEMBER 10TH 2012

KICK-OFF of MASS ACTION against the ANTI-POOR & UNJUST Lagos Road Traffic Law

@

Nigeria Labour Congress,

29 Olajuwon Street, Tejuoso-Yaba, Lagos

@ 8am prompt

ARISE OKADA RIDERS, ARISE OKADA USERS, ARISE NIGERIANS, ITS TIME TO STOP THIS INJUSTICE AGAINST THE POOR!

THE LAW IS FAULTY & NA WURU-WURU TO THE ANSWER

· The central issue of contention in the New Lagos Road Traffic Law was the fraudulent listing of 475 inner roads in Schedule II (which was not presented as part of the Traffic Bill during the Public Hearing), but is now signed into law by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola.

· Why should a government that says it is ‘progressive’ make a Traffic law to jail offenders 3-years when those who daily loot our collective wealth (that should have been available to create jobs and provide social wealth), are walking the streets and using the looted fund to undermine the law?

· Why is Lagos State Government (LASG) not interested in making laws for improvement in the social welfare of Lagosians?

· Why is it not making laws to enhance job opportunities and wealth creation?

· Why is Governor Fashola bent on laws that will further punish the poor masses?

· Why is the LASG NOT MAKING LAWS TO PROTECT THE POOR?

· Is it not true that the megacity project is not meant for the poor?

· Is it good governance to use public office to get rid of the poor in a city of stark affluence of class allies of the government?

Join others to organize and mobilize for this MASS ACTION!

FREEDOM IS NOT GIVEN, IT IS FOUGHT FOR AND WON!!

DARE TO STRUGGLE, DARE TO WIN!!!

Read, make copies and pass to others

DR. DIPO FASHINA          Comrade ABIODUN AREMU
JAF Chairperson                        JAF Secretary

Issued on 7th December 2012 by the Joint Action Front (JAF)

10 Afolabi Lesi Street, Ilupeju-Anthony, Lagos-Nigeria. 08035068524, 08033347962. www.jointactionfront.blogspot.com, Email: jnt_action@yahoo.co.uk

 

Monday 19 November 2012

JAF SUPPORTS THE OKADA OPERATORS!


THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS AND DESERVE THE RIGHTS TO LIVELIHOOD!!
Text of the Press Conference by Joint Action Front (JAF) held at CCG, Lagos, Thursday, November 15th 2012
We welcome our dear media compatriots to this press conference aimed at two issues:
1.   The anti-poor policy of the Lagos State Government in banning the Okada operators and the ongoing extra-judicial brutality unleashed on the Okada operators and the destruction of their motorcycles;
2.   The State of the Nation and the way forward.
1.   The Anti-Poor Policy of Lagos Government in Banning Okadas
The Joint Action Front has deemed it necessary to draw the attention of Lagosians, Nigerians and international public to the obnoxious New Traffic Law enacted by the Lagos State Government and its attendant excesses and escalating gross violation of human rights of Okada riders and commuters in Lagos State, which should never be permitted in any democratic society; and the need to urge Lagosians, Nigerians and patriots all over the world to RESIST this unjust law, because of its disastrous consequences on the socio-economic life and security of life and property in Lagos and Nigeria in the no distant future.
1.1        The Ban on Okada Operations in 475 Roads by the Anti-Poor Lagos State Government: The Facts the PUBLIC Must know
·         JAF wishes to state that Governor Fashola anti-poor policy measures had never been in doubt except that Lagosians have allowed themselves to be taken for a ride for too long. As is in the instance of the Okada riders, the Fashola’s administration had to put its plan to deal with the Okada riders and their families on hold, simply because he needed their votes in 2011 for a second term, which they obliged him. We recall then, that Governor Fashola distributed free helmets and jackets to Okada riders and deceptively told them that Lagos would not ban Okada operations.
·         First, we in JAF recognise that there are safety issues involved in defining regulations on the use of roads and infrastructure, and most especially on plying the highways. The central issue of contention in the New Lagos Traffic Law was the fraudulent listing of the 475 inner roads in Schedule II (which was not presented as part of the Traffic Bill during the Public Hearing), but was fraudulently appended as part of the new Lagos Traffic Law as passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly and signed into law by Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola.
·         Second, the need for regulations on roads and infrastructures as it affects all vehicular traffic and commuters should not an excuse for punitively denying the Okada operators access to earning their means of livelihood.
·         Third, the 475 listed roads are inner routes that actually connect the other unlisted routes and majority of them don’t have alternatives to the use of Okada because state and private buses don’t ply those routes and taxis are not affordable. For example, the Ogba industrial area such as Acme, WEPCO, Akilo, Guinness, etc.
·         Fourth, banning Okada on the 475 roads is not simply about the survival of the Okada operators, it also has serious effect on millions of Lagosian commuters. And since the so-called ban order, Lagosian commuters have been going through daily agonies because of the shortage of the yellow buses, unaffordable taxis and state buses. This clearly bears testimony to why Lagosian commuters board Okadas despite the risks.
·         But what has Governor Fashola done now? He not only ensured that he denied Okada riders their means of livelihood, but equally asked all those who cannot obey his anti-poor laws and policies to leave Lagos. Could Fashola and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) ban Okada from the 475 roads in an election year? NO. This is the time to REJECT and RESIST this deceptive and anti-poor LASG!
1.2        The Brutality of the Okada operators and Extra-Judicial Excesses of LASG
·         In the guise of enforcement of the new Lagos State Traffic Law on Okada operations in the 475 roads, Okada operators and those with private motorcycles have been subject of various forms of extra-judicial brutality. We have reports of extra-judicial brutality across the State on anyone (exception uniformed personnel) sighted on motorcycles. There are such widely media reported cases in the past two weeks, of an Okada rider stripped naked in Akoka and another Okada rider killed at Ilupeju Byepass, Mushin area, who was reported shot in the chest by the police and died hours later.
·         Why should the Lagos State Government (LASG) resort to the rule of force when there is a rule of law?
·         Why should Governor Fashola call on the GOC 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Kenneth Minimah that the army should join in brutalising the Okada riders in the guise of implementing an unjust law?
·         The LASG should stand condemned for this act of executive lawlessness and human rights violations being perpetrated by its Task Force, the police, KAI and LASTMA officials
1.3        Why Do Commuters Patronise Okadas despite the Risk?
·         One of the reasons why Lagosian commuters patronise Okadas is the horrible state of the roads especially in the heavily populated areas like Alimoso, Agege, Ifako Ijaye, Ikorodu, Amuwo Odofin, Ajegunle, Orile, Amukoko, etc.
·         Why do people patronise Okada despite the risks? Taxis in Lagos are unaffordable and unlike FCT Abuja and Port Harcourt and other major cities in Nigeria where taxis charge as low as N50 – N300 per drop, in Lagos, the minimum charge per drop is not less than N600. As a matter of fact, Lagos taxis are three times more expensive, which makes it unaffordable for a worker on a Minimum Wage of N18,000 per month.
·         The Okada issue has revealed the inadequacy of the state public transportation system – the lack of mass transit. With over a million Okadas carrying an average of 10 passengers per Okada per day, it means that the Okadas in Lagos service an average of 10 million commuters per day.
1.4        Why we are opposed to the Anti-Poor Policy of LASG on Okadas?
·         The banning of Okada operations on the 475 roads is unjust and contrary to the spirit and letter of Section 16 of the 1999 Constitution that Government shall operate the economy in such ways that wealth is not concentrated in few hands at the expense of the majority and also to protect the right of every citizen to engage in any economic activities.
·         The purported recognition by Lagos State of two (2) Okada groups for patronage, politically motivated purposes and as agents-provocateur to curtail the rights of other Okada groups is contrary to Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria on Freedom of Association and Assembly.
·         As to the question of why is JAF opposing the ban on Okada in Lagos and not in FCT and PH?  JAF wishes to state that it is opposed to the banning of Okadas anywhere in Nigeria as long as the state abdicates its responsibility to the citizenry. We are committed to urging Nigerians any where they are to RESIST any exploitative and oppressive policies targeted at their survival, and security of life and property.
·         However, we should state clearly that the Lagos situation is different from Abuja and PH in several ways. First, the Abuja metropolitan roads are wide and well paved and there is negligible need for Okada because the buses are cheap and taxis are available at N200 – N400 on routes that will cost three times more in Lagos. Also, to note is that the rich lives in the metropolis of Abuja and not the poor. But Okadas ply the inner routes of the outer settlements where most residents of Abuja live, and as such there are Okadas everywhere in Gwagwalada, Nyanyan, Karu, Mpape, Dutse, etc.
·         Mr. Kayode Opeifa, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transport was reported to have admitted that over 450,000 Okada riders purchased the Riders permit from his office. If that is correct, therefore, the issue should not be banning Okada operations in those 475 roads in places where their services are mostly required, but getting Okadas without permits to comply with Safety regulations, while defaulters should be duly arrested and prosecuted in accordance with law on safety and standards protection.
·         Despite the ban, why do stranded commuters still risk taking Okadas and why do some of the Okada operators defy the ban order. It is simply because those operators have to survive. The commuters also need to get to work and back home. The alternative to what the Okada operators are doing now is to force some of them into armed robbery and other acts of extortionist violence; which any responsible government should not allow to happen.
1.5        The Lagos Government’s Lies and Deception on Alternatives to Okadas
·         The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport – Mr. Kayode Opeifa has been playing to the gallery on the question of alternatives. He has been widely reported by the media that the LASG has trade centres and agric opportunities as the alternatives to take care of the over million Okada riders affected by the ban order on the 475 roads.
·         Let it be stated clearly that Okada operators do not need the trade centres because more than 80% of them are skilled artisans and graduates who as a result of growing unemployment, lack of job opportunities and infrastructure deficiency such as electricity to function in their chosen trades, have been compelled into the Okada transport, which is now servicing more than 10 million Lagosians per day.
·         If we may ask: how many jobs has the Agric-YES of the Lagos State Government benefitted? 600 or so unemployed in 4 years and what is even the fate of those 600 beneficiaries at present? How many has the so-called trade centres benefitted?
·         Government (not just Lagos State) over the years has reneged in its responsibility for job creation and employment opportunities; hence some of the unemployed resort to providing services through Okadas.
1.6        Our Demands
We in JAF demand:
·         That the Chief of Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police and the President Goodluck Jonathan as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces should call to order immediately all armed personnel being used to brutalise hapless citizens in the name of a jungle law being enforced by the LASG.
·         The abrogation of the obnoxious new Lagos Traffic law.
·         The return of all the unjustly confiscated motorcycles because there was no judicial pronouncement on such acts of lawlessness.
·         Immediate End to arbitrary arrests, shooting and extra judicial killings of violators of traffic laws by the Police, Army and LASG officials and agents.
·         Full compensation to the individuals, families and dependants of all victims of the current repression and extra judicial excesses on the account of the obnoxious and inhuman traffic law.
·         That the National Human Rights Commission should investigate the ongoing extra-judicial excesses being perpetrated by the LASG and bring to justice all those found culpable.
·         And urge Lagosians and Nigerians to be prepared for MASS RESISTANCE against the repressive policies of the Lagos State Government.

2.   The State of the Nation and the way forward.
SYSTEM CHANGE REMAINS OUR GOAL!
·         We STAND by SYSTEM CHANGE, which means:
Nigeria is rich. The wealth belongs to the people. Most Nigerians are hungry, have no jobs, no education, no healthcare, no potable water, no electricity supply and no affordable transportation. Most cannot feed their families or educate their children. Those who are lucky to have jobs are not much different. They also cannot afford a decent living for their families. On the other hand, there is a very tiny group of Nigerians who have cornered the wealth that belong to the working people and the poor, who are in the majority. They loot the treasury and use their stolen wealth to sustain themselves in power through their political parties. They use their power to get richer and richer when the poor get poorer and poorer. This is the system of exploitation and oppression. It is the system that brings out the army and the police to kill poor people when they protest against oppression and exploitation.
We want to change that system and replace it with a system where the working people and the millions of people who are sufferings under the system of exploitation will win power and ensure that the wealth of Nigeria is used to ensure a good life for the majority of the people who are now exploited and oppressed. System change is not replacing one exploiter’s government by another exploiter’s government. It is replacing an exploiter’s government by a people’s government to reorganise Nigeria and put an end to exploitation and oppression”.
FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!
 Dr. Oladipo Fashina                           Comrade Abiodun Aremu
JAF Chairperson                                  JAF Secretary