By Ojo Oyewamide

|

Dorcas Ajayi was a fish seller in Akure, Ondo state capital. She opted for petty trading because she could not stay idle and allow hunger to bash her stomach. Dorcas is now dead and lonely in her grave, leaving members of her family to suffer the pains of her untimely exit. The deceased was a victim of the excesses of trade unions in the state.
Dorcas did not have the freedom to sell her fishes in the market because she had not been registered as a member of the Fish Sellers Association of Nigeria, Ondo State Chapter. The association also barred her from getting supply from any cold room in the state if she failed to pay N1000 for the purchase of registration form. Who knows she was reluctant to pay the money because it would have affected the size of her little business if she had paid?
On the day she died, the association task force was out to enforce the payment of the registration fee. The task force forced defaulters to pay by confiscating their goods. In order to prevent her goods from being seized, Dorcas went to hide herself in a dilapidated building which collapsed and killed her.
Dorcas wanted to save her livelihood but lost her life. What a cruel fate and tragic irony! It was because of her life that she wanted to protect her trade. A life without any source of income is a miserable one and not worth living. It is livelihood that sustains human lives because it is a means of providing the necessities of life.
Dorcas’ fate is what the late Prof. Oyin Ogunba would describe as a good example of Elizabethan tragedy in our literature class in those days at Ife. Elizabethan tragedy is when an action that is taken to avoid a particular trouble sinks one deeper into that trouble. Such a fate invokes the greatest of sympathy. She lost the life she wanted to sustain by trying to save her livelihood.
The tragic incident ignited the rage of her colleagues. Fish sellers in the state capital ascribed her death to the action of the task force. They staged a peaceful protest, walking from the popular Erekesan market to the Governor’s Office. They demanded the disbandment of the association which leadership they accused of extorting and inflicting untold hardship on them instead of solving their problems. The protest prompted the state government to suspend all activities of the union.
The leadership of the Association of Tippers and Quarry Owners of Nigeria some weeks ago succumbed to the lure of its greed and extortionist inclination. It arbitrarily hiked the prices of sharp sand by more than 100 percent, giving the high cost of motor spare parts and fuel as the reasons for its decision. The decision forced the National Association of Block Moulders of Nigeria to increase prices of blocks.
The state government could not fold its arms and allow the sand dealers to increase the hardship of the people of the state. The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties and Strategy, Doyin Odebowale, directed them to revert to the old prices or be ready to leave the state. He said: “Governor Akeredolu will not allow the sharp sand dealers to extort money from members of the public and make things difficult for the people,” said Odebowale. They obeyed the directive and reversed their decision.
Taxi drivers in February hiked intra-city shuttle fares by 100 percent. This was in response to the decision of the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to increase prices of tickets for commercial vehicles in the state. The state government, however, directed them to revert to the old price of fifty naira. It also asked the NURTW leadership to stop collecting money from taxi drivers and other commercial drivers in the state. Odebowale, who gave the directive on behalf of the government, said new tickets would be purchased directly from government. The drivers have since then reverted to the old fares.
To curb the excesses of trade unions in the state, the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu government last week took a decisive action. It barred trade associations and artisan groups from fixing arbitrary prices of goods and services. They were also stopped from using coercion to enforce the prices. Nobody should be forced to join any union or association. The decision of the government was contained in a statement by Donald Ojogo, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation.
Justifying the decision, Ojogo said: “Government had, before now, watched with discomfort and dismay the economic suffocation of the people with unimaginable increases in prices of goods and services in markets, shops and other sales outlets across the state. Even without due regard for market forces, it is obvious that associations and unions are largely behind this unwholesome act. The state government has decided to act decisively even as the public deserves protection from this undesirable exploitation under some guises.”
But the directive was misconstrued. Many believed it amounted to banning the activities of trade unions in the state. With the decision, the government has not outlawed any association. Governor Akeredolu is a lawyer, a senior lawyer for that matter. He knows there is freedom of association. But people also have the freedom to either associate or not. They must not be forced to associate against their wish. This is well-recognised by the constitution of the country. The public must also be protected against extortion and the greed of any group of people.
The erroneous interpretation of the government directive compelled Ojogo to issue another statement for the purpose of clarification. He said: “For emphasis, the directive issued by the State Government was with specific reference to the unwholesome activities of concerned Groups. This is, especially, with regard to the arbitrary fixing of prices of goods and services, use of coercion in the collection of levies as well as the instrumentality of force to enlist vulnerable persons into their Associations under the guise of bonding.
“This clarification is, therefore, necessary for proper understanding of the directive. The Ondo State Government’s decision is reinforced by its belief in the freedom of people to associate and bond voluntarily without any fear or use of brute force. This is even as a high measure of civility and voluntarism is desirable in the activities of bonding among artisans, traders and professionals.
“Succinctly, the directive of the State Government merely invoked the need for proper regulation of activities of such bodies. ASSOCIATIONS AND UNIONS ARE NEITHER BANNED NOR DISSOLVED”.
The action of the government has been hailed by the people of the state. The people are happy, believing that it will stop the extortion of the general public by the trade unions and address the economic hardship caused by their actions.