The reported violence at Naira and Kobo Garage in Ikire, where lives were allegedly lost following a clash involving commercial transport operators and suspected political thugs, is another disturbing reminder of the urgent need to reform the management of motor parks in Osun State.
While the allegations surrounding the incident must be properly investigated and those found culpable held accountable, the larger issue cannot be ignored: the management of motor parks should never become a source of violence, intimidation, or political control.
This is therefore a strong appeal to the Osun State Government to scrap the current NURTW structure and adopt a Lagos-style Park Management System that will place the administration of motor parks under a properly regulated and accountable framework.
Similar approaches have been adopted in states such as Lagos and Oyo, with the aim of bringing greater organisation, regulation, and accountability to motor park operations.
In Oyo, the government proscribed NURTW activities and introduced a Park Management System with appointed managers across the 33 local governments, disciplinary committees, and technology-driven revenue collection through electronic tickets. This reduced open factional clashes and directed levies into government coffers.
Lagos has used temporary Parks Management Committees — chaired by stakeholders and reporting to the Ministry of Transportation — to stabilise parks during NURTW leadership crises. This prevented vacuums that threaten law and order before returning control under clearer oversight.
Osun cannot afford a situation where disputes over motor parks put the lives and properties of innocent citizens at risk.
Commercial drivers, passengers, traders, residents, and law enforcement officers should be able to operate within a system where rules are clear, leadership is accountable, and disputes are resolved through lawful channels rather than violence.
The government must act proactively, not wait until more lives are lost before implementing lasting reforms.
The people of Osun deserve motor parks that are organised, peaceful, and properly regulated — not battlegrounds for political or union struggles.
The reported Ikire incident should therefore serve as a wake-up call for the Osun State Government to urgently review the management of motor parks and adopt a Park Management System that can safeguard lives, protect property, and promote peace and tranquillity across the state.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Advocate for Good Governance and Judicial Reform
