The Lagos Ride is not an empowerment scheme but a slavery scheme. Here are my reasons:

1. Each applicant driver will have to pay a non-refundable 17k to prequalify
2. If the driver passes the prequalification stage, the driver will have to pay the sum of 1,845,500 which is to cover 20% cost of the vehicle, registration and insurance, advance rent payment, first aid kit, e-taxi licence and training.
3. Driver will remit 8,709 daily and compulsory.
4. Driver will still pay 25% of each trip like the normal uber commission.
5. Number 3 and 4 will continue without any hitch for 4 years and the car becomes the driver’s own.
6. Driver will fuel the car on his own.
7. Ibile holdings will handle servicing and maintenance through GAC motor

The above is just a summary of the scheme.

My questions are as follows :
1. If I am a driver and I have 1.8m, will I be fool enough to go and subject myself to all the above or get a good Toyota car of my own and register with already available e-hailing platforms?
2. If 1.8m is just 20% of the vehicle, that means the actual cost o the car is 9m even if it’s more than brand new who cares?
3. Please multiply 8,709 daily by 365 days. This means in a year, the driver would have paid 3,178,785. Now multiply just 3m by 4 years and it follows that the driver would have paid 12m and worked for 4 years to own the car.

Now see – the car cost 9m and you will pay 12m over 4 years.

1. If the e-hailing platform charges between 10% and 25% commission, why can’t the scheme that is claiming empowerment not charge below the 10% at least?
2. The 25% commission itself will also affect the driver’s ability to read the daily remittance of 8,709.
3. With the above, can one consider the scheme empowerment or slavery?
4. In my honest opinion, I will prefer to do nothing than enslave myself with the arrangement even if I don’t have an option.

Do you also know that if in the course of working under the platform, there is a high possibility that the car will be withdrawn from the driver in the event of not meeting the remittance repeatedly for whatever reasons even if genuine? So after two years or so of labour, the car can be taken away from you and if you go to court, the main contract terms and conditions will be read to the driver and will be all efforts wasted.

Remember that some drivers won’t read the contract word for word and even some that will do will still accept because they just want to start hustling as the saying goes.
This is my position.

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