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News_Naija

Lagos Truck Drivers Protest Sand Price Hike

Truck drivers and owners under the Ikorodu-Ketu Truck Owners and Drivers Association, Lagos State, staged a protest on Monday against the recent hike in the price of sharp sand by the Dredgers Association. The protest, held at the association’s operational base in Ikorodu, was triggered by a sharp price increase—from N126,000 to N178,500—for 30 tons of sharp sand, which the protesters described as unsustainable for their business. Chairman of the truck drivers’ association, Mr Sikiru Aderoju, said the price of sharp sand had been raised twice in the past two months, leaving drivers unable to operate profitably. “We are protesting the Dredgers Association’s indiscriminate increase in the price of sharp sand. Just two months ago, we agreed to a new price of N126,000 after an earlier increment. Now, they have added N52,000, bringing the price to N178,000. Our customers can no longer afford it, and they’ve stopped patronising us,” Aderoju said. Also speaking, truck owner Mr Oluwaseun Adelaja alleged that the constant price hikes appeared to be a deliberate attempt to push independent truck drivers out of the market. “As of July 2024, 30 tons of sharp sand cost N85,000. It rose to N110,000 in November and then N126,000 in January 2025. We accepted those increases, citing the rising costs of diesel, maintenance, and spare parts. But last week, it jumped again to N178,500, effective from April 14. Customers can’t cope,” he said. “We believe the dredgers are trying to dominate the market with their own trucks. Their pricing and rotation policies are affecting our access to customers.” A truck driver, Mr Sodiq Owolabi, also claimed he was assaulted during a previous protest. “I was trying to protect my boss when some thugs and security personnel working with the dredgers attacked me. They held me down, took me to their barracks, and beat me up,” he alleged. The protesters called on the Lagos State Government to intervene and compel the Dredgers Association to review the pricing in the interest of economic fairness and public affordability. Responding to the protest, the Chairman of the Dredgers Association in Ikorodu, Mr Tunde Adigun, said the price increases were a direct result of worsening economic conditions. “The truck drivers are our customers. I also own trucks. I bought my last one for ₦39 million; now, it costs ₦100 million. The cost of operations keeps rising. We used to pump sand from 100–200 meters offshore; now we go as far as four kilometres. That significantly increases expenses,” he explained. Mr Adigun said that each increment was preceded by meetings with tipper associations where agreements were reached. “Whenever we adjust prices, we meet with their executives and explain our challenges. We don’t just impose new prices. Five dredging sites have shut down because operations are no longer profitable. Even some of our Chinese partners have pulled out.” He also addressed the allegations of violence during protests. “The security officers were deployed to maintain order. The clash was not with truck drivers but with community members who insisted that tippers be allowed to operate. The security personnel intervened to restore peace,” he stated. On accusations of undermining tipper drivers by operating his own trucks, Adigun said: “I bought trucks after they stopped carrying sand from my site. I’m trying to sustain my business. Just as some truck drivers own dredging operations, I’m free to do the same.”

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Instablog9ja

Just In: Hunger Protest: First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Distributes 1,750 Bags Of Rice To The Less Privileged Individuals In Oyo State

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Worldnews

Democrat Al Green Removed From Trumps Congress Speech For Heckling

Shortly after Trump began his marathon speech, the Representative from Texas stood up and shouted that the president did not have a mandate. Democratic Representative Al Green was not the first legislator to blurt out a shout of protest during a presidential address to the United States Congress. But he is perhaps the only one in recent memory to be ejected from the hall on Tuesday night by the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Shortly after Donald Trump began the longest-ever presidential speech to Congress in modern history, Green stood up, shaking his walking cane, and shouted: “You don’t have a mandate.” “Sit your a** down!” Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican, shouted back at Green, who remained standing. Amid chanting from outraged Republicans, House Speaker Johnson directed the sergeant at arms, in charge of maintaining order in the chamber, to escort the 78-year-old Texas legislator out. “Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the sergeant-at-arms to restore order,” Johnson said. “Remove this gentleman from the chamber.” Green, who had called for Trump’s impeachment during the Republican’s first term in office, later told reporters it was worth it to make his point even if he is punished by House leaders, who later called for the congressman to be censured. “The president was saying he had a mandate, and I was making it clear that he has no mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green told reporters, referring to the healthcare programme used by 80 million mainly low-income Americans. Medicaid has been a key issue for Democrats, who fear potential funding cuts under a Republican leadership. “It’s worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president,” said Green. Green’s outburst set the tone for an uneasy night as stone-faced Democrats, now in minority, sat silently on one side of the chamber, and rambunctious Republicans on the other. Some Democrats held up signs with messages such as “Save Medicaid” and “Protect Veterans”, aiming to draw attention to policies they believed could help them regain a majority. Some other Democratic legislators found an unobtrusive way to show protest with a collective fashion choice: Pink clothing. Multiple female legislators, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, donned outfits in that hue for the Republican president’s speech, creating a show of unity and solidarity in a room otherwise dominated by blue and grey suits. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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News_Naija

Cross River PDP Reinstates Chairman

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Cross River, Venatius Ikem, suspended from office for alleged misconduct, financial mismanagement and failure of the party during the 2024 local government elections, has been reinstated to fully resume office. While addressing journalists on Friday at the party’s Secretariat in Calabar, Ikem disclosed that he has been “exonerated and acquitted” of the allegations of gross misconduct made against him. He stated that his return would boost the party’s fame and regain the lost glory, saying that “the party may have fallen and stumbled, but our party will rise to take its rightful place in Cross River and Nigeria.” Ikem said, “I want to thank you all for the show of love, this show of love is not for me but for the party. I was not expecting this kind of crowd to escort me to the office today. I am overwhelmed by the reception I have seen.” “A couple of months back, the devil wanted to steal what does not belong to him, and today, we have come to say no to the devil. The past four months were very hard, moving forward, we are going to return our party to the part of unity and sanity”, he remarked. “I owe nobody any grudge. I am consulting with all the party leaders and stakeholders. In all the things that happened in the past, I promise you I will change my ways. All those who felt hurt in the past, please forgive me. All those who will always be consistent in their support to the party, keep doing what you are doing, for there is a future again for us, Ikem added.