The Lagos chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers generates from its operations in the state a whopping sum of N123.08 billion annually, a report by the International Centre for Investigative Report revealed.
The huge sum of money could service the annual budget of Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states put together.
FirstNews observed from the report that the money was realised through levies on buses, motorcycles, and tricycles only.
The report recorded a total of 75,000 buses; 50,000 tricycles; and 37,000 motorcycles.
According to findings, N3000, N600, and N1800 were levied on buses, motorcycles, and tricycles respectively on daily basis.
The addition of the levies showed N82.1bn for buses; N8.1bn for motorcycles and N32.9bn for tricycles yearly; making a total of N123.078bn annually.
Confirming that the agberos make such money annually, Moshood, one of the agberos in Ojodu Berger said “It is not a joke at all. What we realise on this job cannot be generated by most of the companies in this state. You people believe in office jobs, we believe in making money on the streets.”
On how they operate, he shared that “We have a roster that determines who is on duty and the time of operation. This makes it easy for us to know when we are working, and we remit to our leaders.
Meanwhile, passengers and traders in Lagos have expressed concern over their ordeal in the hands of the agberos.
According to them, the money levied on the commercial drivers is indirectly paid by them.
“These people are gradually making things difficult for us in Lagos. Imagine Ketu to Berger is now N200. This is no more the matter of the government increasing the fuel price alone, what the agberos are doing is compounding our problems in Lagos. The same thing is applicable to Okadas. It is time the state government intervene and regulate the activities of the agberos before they cause problems in Lagos”, Olayinka Adams, a passenger said.