The Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has said most crimes, especially thuggery and robbery, would be eradicated if the Federal Government could create a Bank of Transportation.
The association said this while marking the 42nd anniversary of the establishment of RTEAN at its headquarters in Igando, Lagos State, saying within one year of establishing the proposed bank, the police and other security agencies would be able to breathe easy, as crime rate would be reduced to the barest minimum.
National President of RTEAN, Mr Musa Muhammed, said: “To fight crime is to create massive employment for the teeming population of idle youths who have gone into crime because they are hopeless as there are no jobs. Our universities are turning out thousands of graduates and sending them to the streets in search of jobs. But if we have Bank of Transportation, like we have Bank of Industry and Cooperative Bank, we in the transportation business will be able to secure loans, buy trucks, cars, buses and tricycles and give to jobless youths, especially graduates.
“We are in the business, so we understand how it works. For example, if we are able to access loans in our union and get 100,000 buses and distribute to our members, three persons will be working in each bus, two drivers and one conductor. The first driver works from 5:00a.m. to noon, another person works from 12noon to 8:00p.m. The same thing is applicable to tricycle operation and trucks.
If we do this consistently for years, we would have employed millions of people, especially graduates, who will be earning up to N80,000 monthly.
“Second, we would have also created more jobs for mechanics, panel beaters, vulcanizers, car washers and spare parts sellers. With such innovation, tell me if a serious youth who has a job would still go and be collecting N3,000 to go and fight as a thug for politicians.”
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