The battle between the Great Tipper Association of Nigeria and Anambra State Tipper Association (ASTA) and others, over the control of welfare funds of the associations, has claimed two lives.
The groups have been at loggerheads over who collects welfare funds from members of the Tipper Drivers’ Association.
Last week, there was a clash between the groups in Onitsha over the lingering issue when ASTA members tried to collect the welfare fund from the other group, leading to the death of two persons – Sunday Anaekwe and another simply identified as Nwa mazi.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the report to journalists, said police have commenced investigation into the matter, after which the culprits would be charged to court.
Speaking on the matter, the Chairman of ASTA, Prince Augustine Akaigwe, said there was no problem within tipper associations in Anambra State except that Great Tipper Association and Anambra/Imo Tipper Driver Association of Nigeria ANAIMO, refused to join the umbrella body of the union.
According to him, Great Tipper Association and Sand Miners entered into an agreement to be collecting 500 naira from every tipper in the state, but he, as Chairman of ASTA recognised by government, said they cannot collect money from 21 unions and share between two unions.
He further said that they went to court and got an injunction stopping them but they did not obey the court order.
Another member of the ASTA, Honourable Stanley Nkwoka, said to be one of the Special Advisers to the governor on Transport, said this is not the first or second time they have attacked them and unfortunately during the last attack, they killed two of their members – Nwa mazi and Sunday Anaekwe.
He said Government decided to harmonise the over 20 unions of tipper associations in Anambra State just like market unions, Okada and drivers’ unions, but alleged that Great Tippers and ANAIMO, refused to sign the agreement because they are being sponsored.
However, President of Great Tipper Association of Nigeria, Mr. Ebuka Unekwe, said Stanley Nkwoka is not a member of any tipper union in the state, noting that he only mobilises touts to beat up anyone who refuses to pay the illegal money.
He said that Great Tipper Association is not the same with ASTA and therefore they are not answerable to them, noting that great tipper has a corporate seal and exists as a legal body recognised by law.
Tipper Association of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter, Comrade Jerry Efejika, said the money in contention was not for government but for tipper drivers’ welfare and can only be collected by each union.
He accused the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Afam Mbanefo, of fuelling the crisis because of his personal interest.
Reacting to the crisis, the State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Afam Mbanefo said that what the ministry did was to harmonise the multiple tippers association in the state for easy operations.
The Commissioner, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Mr Emeka Ilozor, said the ministry discovered that there were over 18 tipper drivers’ associations in the state and decided to invite them for harmonisation in order to have one umbrella body for easy management.
0
0
