Long-distance road transport owners and operators whose buses ply various routes across Nigeria have dissociated themselves from the ‘Days of Rage’ nationwide protests planned to commence on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
At a press conference in the Utako area of Abuja on Thursday, the transporters under their national umbrella body, Association of Luxury Bus Owners of Nigeria (ALBON), described the planned protests as an ill wind that will blow no good.
Briefing the press on ALBON’s position after a meeting in their Abuja office, the association’s leadership led by the President, Mr. Nonso Ubajaka, said experience has shown that such protests are usually infiltrated by hoodlums who use the opportunity to unleash violence.
According to Ubajaka, members reasoned that if held, the protests could lead to loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties.
He said the resolution of the members of his association had been conveyed to the Minister of Transportation, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali, to whom they made it clear that they would not be a part of the planned protests.
The association acknowledged that there is economic hardship in the country, with Nigerians feeling the impact of rising food prices and high cost of living.
The ALBON leadership, however, urged those planning to protest to have a rethink and seek more peaceful ways of getting the government to address the problems, including making themselves available for peaceful dialogue.
Driving home this point, the ALBON President drew attention to the fact that members’ vehicles operate from Utako to other parts of Nigeria, as well as from other cities and towns to various destinations across the country, which makes their vehicles vulnerable.
Stressing that members could not afford to risk making their buses the targets of violent protests, Ubajaka sued for meaningful dialogue while the government works towards finding solutions to the identified problems.
He stated: “We don’t want to put our businesses at risk and expose the lives of the people we serve to danger through protests. The government has taken steps to mitigate the several national challenges that we are having.”
He, therefore, called on ALBON members to further disassociate themselves and also disregard the planned action, which he continually referred to as a product of “social media” resolve.
