Micheal Chukwuebuka, Reporting
A possible showdown is looming between commercial transport unions and the Enugu State Government over who collects which levies at parks and terminals.
The unions have threatened to shut down operations following a directive by the state government to take over commissions collected by unions from their members at motor parks and terminals.
Uncomfortable with the government’s decision, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) rejected the directive, which they said would further worsen the financial burden on commercial transport operators already paying multiple taxes and levies to the state government.
The unions reportedly took the decision after a meeting with officials of the state government and the management of transport terminals failed to resolve the dispute.
It is alleged that the state government, through the Enugu State Revenue Service, wants to collect the commissions currently being paid to the transport unions by commercial vehicles loading at designated terminals, and remit 15 per cent of the collections to the unions.
The unions, however, insist that the money constitutes union dues used to run their branches, support members and meet other welfare obligations, and should not be taken over by the government.
The directive was reportedly communicated to transport union representatives on Wednesday by the Chairman of the Enugu State Revenue Service, Emmanuel Nnamani.
A NURTW member, Agbo Celestine, told our reporter that the unions had supported the government’s revenue collection efforts despite what he described as repeated increases in taxes imposed on commercial transport operators. He warned that the government should not mistake the unions’ previous cooperation for weakness.
“It is either the government reverses to status quo and allows the sleeping dog to lie down, or we will shut down transport operations in the state,” Celestine said.
He said the unions had helped the government implement its electronic ticketing system despite initial resistance from drivers.
“We are trade unions that have rules governing us nationwide, not just in Enugu. Fees that are being collected in Enugu and other states are being controlled from our national headquarters, not as controlled by the state,” he said.
According to him, the state government introduced an electronic ticketing system that combined several payments, including toll tickets, motor park tickets, union tickets and Memorandum of Understanding-related payments.
“They build it in one and started collecting N200 from our members. In that meeting, the then chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue was there, and they promised that no other tax shall be added,” he said.
Celestine alleged that the amount subsequently increased several times. “They started collecting from N450 to N650 to N800 daily per vehicle. And it must be paid before 12 noon every day,” he said.
He further alleged that additional charges were later introduced, including a N100,000 park-related payment.
The union member contrasted the situation with what he described as the government’s agreement with market traders.
“For the traders, not even a kobo was added. Is it because the traders’ union could not control their members that led to a protest? But the transport unions had grip on their members — all the protests being done, we stopped them,” he said.
‘We have protected government against drivers’
Celestine said transport union leaders had repeatedly intervened to prevent disputes between commercial drivers and the government from escalating. He argued that the government’s attempt to take over union commissions amounted to punishing the unions for cooperating with its revenue drive.
“So that is why they thought it is easy each time the government was adding money. We have protected the government against drivers all these while,” he said.
He explained that the money collected by unions was not retained by individuals but distributed across different levels of the union structure.
“When they see this money being collected, they think that it is our workers in the field that are eating, not knowing that they are being split into four or five parts — one will go to them as their feeding, another will go to the branch as branch levy, one will go to the state, to zonal and to national headquarters,” he said. “It is not something they will stay there and eat.”
Celestine said the unions had also intervened when the government attempted to increase payments by tipper drivers, resulting in the arrest of a union chairman before the matter was taken to court. He warned that the scale of any protest by the transport unions could be significant.
“National Union of Road Transport Workers has 25,000 members alone, not to talk of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN). When 25,000 members come out to protest, what it will look like…”
Another union leader, Chisom Njoku, said the government had no justification for taking over money he described as union dues. Njoku said Nnamani visited a transport terminal on Wednesday and informed the unions that they were no longer entitled to collect commissions from vehicles loading at the terminals.
“The chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue came to the terminal on Wednesday and said that the transport unions have no right to collect commissions from their members, that it is now the government of Enugu State that will be collecting it,” Njoku said. “That after collecting it, they (government) will give them 15 per cent.”
He questioned why the government should take a percentage of money paid by vehicle operators into their unions.
“This is our motor; the government didn’t buy a vehicle and give us. We are paying the government e-ticket over a thousand naira every day, we pay for emblem, we pay for manifest, and after paying all these taxes, you then come to our union affairs,” he said.
“You now impose that when our vehicle loads, you will collect our commission which is the union dues. Then from this commission you will now give us 15 per cent. Is this not injustice and wickedness of the highest order?”
Njoku said commercial operators already paid various charges at the terminals. “Every vehicle that loads in the terminal pays N2,000 plus, depending on the routes you are going to. Some even pay N4,000,” he said.
He added that union dues were used to provide welfare and assistance to members. “We repair our vehicles if spoiled. We pay condolences to our members. We visit our members who are in trouble or have had an accident. It is from this union commission collection that we do all those things,” he said. “So what now concerns the government with our union affairs?”
Njoku listed the daily electronic ticket charges for different categories of commercial vehicles as N750 for tricycles, N800 for minibuses, N850 for computer buses, N1,700 for 608 buses, N4,000 for 911 trucks and N4,500 for trailer trucks. He also listed additional charges of N1,000 for manifests and N7,500 for an emblem.
The unions alleged that the charges had contributed to the rising cost of operating commercial vehicles and, consequently, transport fares in the state. Njoku said the unions had tolerated the increases but were no longer prepared to accept the government’s attempt to take over their internal collections.
“They were collecting daily tax toll ticket N200, and within two years they raised it to N1,000 and above depending on the vehicle, yet we kept quiet,” he said. “They introduced manifest and we started paying it; emblem we pay, and we pay N2,000 at the terminal gate. If any of our vehicles parks at the terminal overnight for whatever reason, they charge N2,000.
“Now they are not satisfied; they want to hijack the union collection. This is unacceptable to us and we will not accept it.”
Government replies: ‘We are ready for their crisis’
However, the Board of Internal Revenue Service’s Nnamani defended the state government’s position and accused the transport unions of imposing additional charges on operators. He said the government had already provided several financial arrangements for the unions through its electronic ticketing system and terminal operations.
“Never mind them. We are ready for their crisis,” Nnamani said. “These guys are insatiable. They cause government bad names in multiple taxation of residents, and government cannot watch them do that and go free.”
According to him, unions receive N100 from every electronic ticket as a union levy, while the government also provides other financial incentives. “In every e-ticket, the union owns N100, which is their union levy, and we remit to them daily,” he said. “We also gave them the first opportunity to become e-ticket agents for their union members, which we pay them 12 per cent for every ticket sold.”
He added that the unions were also allowed to participate in enforcement activities. “We also gave them first enforcement agent and pay them 70 per cent of every enforcement default ticket, while government goes home with just 30 per cent,” Nnamani said. “All these are just to ensure we have a great relationship with the unions.”
On collections at bus terminals, Nnamani said the government had reached an arrangement with union leaders under which government would collect a charge equivalent to the cost of one seat from interstate vehicles and give the unions 15 per cent of the proceeds through the IJE Card system.
“How on earth will a union charge every vehicle that loads in the terminals between N4,000 to N8,000 per loading?” he asked. “These vehicle operators are business people; how will they feed their families and maintain their vehicles? This is the height of inhuman treatment, and government cannot just watch without action.”
Nnamani said the unions’ role at the terminals should be to maintain order and assist in determining what is due to each union, rather than imposing additional charges on vehicle operators. “They should not cause government bad name in multiple taxation. They should limit themselves to the agreement they had with government,” he said.
The disagreement has now raised fears of a possible disruption of commercial transport services in Enugu State. The unions said their members were considering shutting down operations if the government proceeded with the proposed arrangement.
Celestine said the unions had supported the administration despite what he described as an increasingly burdensome tax regime. He said the government should reverse the directive and allow the existing arrangement to continue.
Njoku similarly said union members were prepared to protest if the dispute was not resolved. “Our members are planning to shut down Enugu State capital in protest, but we want to hear them today after a meeting with the Board of Internal Revenue and management of the terminal,” he said.
The dispute centres on whether the collections at the terminals constitute government revenue subject to state control, or union dues arising from the unions’ relationship with their members.
While the government maintains that the unions are imposing additional financial burdens on commercial operators, the unions insist that the disputed collections are necessary for their internal administration and welfare obligations.
With both sides maintaining their positions, the unions’ threat to withdraw transport operations has heightened concern among commuters who depend heavily on commercial vehicles for movement across Enugu State.
