NLC plans protest in Akwa Ibom over new fee

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Akwa Ibom State chapter, has announced plans to gather dispatch riders for a protest against the Akwa Ibom State Government. This protest is in response to a controversial N100,000 annual permit fee and claims of harassment by officials enforcing this policy.

In a petition dated 7 July and sent to the Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Ikoedem Ekong, the labour union accused the Ministry of Transport of imposing what they called an “extortionist levy” on members of the National Union of Dispatch Riders and Mail Operators in Nigeria.

The petition, which PREMIUM TIMES accessed, also claimed that people pretending to be members of the ministry’s task force are arresting dispatch riders and seizing their motorcycles.

This situation follows weeks of complaints on social media from dispatch riders regarding the high cost of registration and permits. The disagreement comes shortly after the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly directed the Ministry of Transport to step up enforcement of rules against unregistered dispatch riders due to security issues and loss of revenue. Lawmakers also instructed the ministry to revisit operational guidelines for dispatch services.

NLC says talks failed

The petition, signed by Akwa Ibom NLC Chairman, Sunny James, and State Secretary, Alpha Marshall, stated that the labour union had tried to engage the Ministry of Transport several times without success. The union mentioned that dispatch riders paid N15,000 for annual permits in 2023, N20,000 in 2024, and N30,000 in 2025 before the fee was raised to N100,000 this year.

The NLC argued that this increase does not match fees in other states, where annual permits reportedly cost between N15,000 and N35,000. “Between January 2026 and May 2026, we held more than four meetings and sent several messages to the Honourable Commissioner of Transport and his team to resolve this issue,” the union stated in the petition.

They added that the commissioner’s “hard stance” has kept the issue unresolved. The union also claimed enforcement began on 6 July with the seizure of motorcycles belonging to dispatch riders.

“It is clear that collective bargaining has failed at this time,” the petition said. They urged the labour commissioner to step in and help recover the impounded motorcycles to prevent a crisis.

Protest on the horizon

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, NLC chairperson, Mr James, said they would mobilise dispatch riders for a protest if the government does not resolve the issue. “The NLC will gather the affected union for a protest against the government if they do not call him to order,” he said, referring to the transport commissioner.

PREMIUM TIMES also looked at an earlier NLC letter dated 29 January sent to the Commissioner for Transport, Anthony Luke, asking for help with the dispute. In another letter dated 17 March, the NLC mentioned that after two meetings with the ministry, the issues were still not resolved. They added that the ministry later issued a notice on 13 March about starting a unified ticketing system for dues payment.

Transport commissioner defends decision

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the transport commissioner, Mr Luke, defended the permit system. He said it was set up to regulate dispatch riders using motorcycles despite the state's ban on commercial motorcycle operations. He alleged that previous permit collections did not go to the government. “People were being defrauded,” he said.

When asked who was defrauding people under the guise of generating revenue for the government, he did not respond directly but said PREMIUM TIMES should investigate. Mr Luke also claimed that security agencies have linked some dispatch riders to criminal activities.

“Security agencies found that many of the items in those boxes the dispatch riders use are drugs and weapons. More than 50 percent of them are involved in illegal businesses. However, we still have those using it for legitimate businesses,” he said.

Mr Luke explained that the ministry started profiling to tell apart legitimate operators from criminals. This profiling includes collecting riders’ names, photographs, phone numbers, and guarantors, along with branding motorcycles, delivery boxes, and helmets.

He said the N100,000 fee is a one-time payment that covers identity cards, branding, tracking, and other security measures. “It covers their tracking, identity cards, branding on their helmets, and branding on their boxes. The number on the helmet will match the one on the box,” he said.

When asked why the ministry was issuing permits despite the state’s motorcycle restrictions, Mr Luke said this arrangement was in place before he came on board. “I met it that way. They had to approach us. As a listening government, we listened,” he said. He ended the call before answering more questions. Subsequent calls to his phone went unanswered.

PREMIUM TIMES also sent him a text message and WhatsApp request for more details about the policy, the cost breakdown for the N100,000 fee, the legal basis for impounding motorcycles, and why negotiations with the NLC failed. He has not responded yet.

Labour commissioner responds

When contacted, the Commissioner for Labour and Manpower Planning, Ikoedem Ekong, said he would first need to “hear from both sides” before responding to PREMIUM TIMES. “We will invite them today for a meeting,” he said on Thursday, 9 July.