The President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, has again called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call the Minister of Labour and Employment, Solomon Lalong, to order so as not to truncate the October 2, 2023, Labour and Federal Government’s agreement.
[a]
Baruwa said the action of the Minister so far has shown distort by taking side

with the alleged biased Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin and Tajudeen Agbede-led group.

He stated this yesterday in Abuja while giving an update on the situation regarding the leadership crisis rocking the union.

Baruwa said that failure by the Minister to take step to enforce his directive suspending the activities of both groups including further conduct of any election has shown that has been compromised.

He said the Minister reneged on his directive by supporting the Agbede-led group to hold illegal delegates conferences in violation of the Constitution of the union and his own directive.

The President said: “You may recall that the NLC had an agreement with the federal government and promised to resolve our matter on or before October 13, and the Federal Ministry of Labour invited us on October 12 for a meeting but due to the thuggery nature of Usman Yasin and Agbede group, the meeting could not hold.

“The failure to comply with the directive of the Minister to stop further day to the activities of the union by their group and the ministry’s failure to take step to enforce its directive made us to believe that the minister has been compromised, and our belief was vindicated by their meeting of Wednesday, October 18 with the minister.

“Their so-call conference of October 25, clearly proved that the Minister has taken side and whatsoever they try to show that the minister or any agents of Government is with them cannot deny that they use brute force to break into the National Secretariat of the Union, so also nothing can justify them parading as legitimate leaders of the union NURTW.

“Therefore, we are calling on all members, relevant authorities and members of the general public to disregard the opposing group and who they represent.”

He said his administration complied with all the constitutional requirement in conducting the 10th National Quadrennial Delegate Conference.

He explained that there was no complaint by any member from any zone for either execution or denial from participating in the process of the election till date noting that only the duo of Mr. Agbede and Akin Adeosun decided on their own not to participate in writing through their lawyer.

“Surprisingly, after concluding all the Constitutional electoral process as provided in Article 9 section 13th-16th and Article 8, section 2(1), suddenly, Alh. Usman Yasin, whom served as the president of the union for about 10 years with aim of perpetrating himself in office without success now descended so low to grab power through the back door by encouraging and instigating the illegal taking-over of the National Secretariat through the use of brute force and also, organizing illegal election that is not recognized and alien to the constitution of the union.

“Therefore, their purported conference of October 25 and all zonal delegates conference of October 5, are not only illegal but inconclusive and in fact, the swearing-in of the officers and the appointment of the Deputy as acting President is null and void and without any effect whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the union, Comrade Anthony Asogwa Chukwudi, who had served the union meritoriously and attained his retirement age was honoured as he bowed out of the union. The union has appointment Comrade Suleiman Abdulkadir Musa, as Acting General Secretary.

Asogwa thanked the union for the opportunity given to him to serve them in various capacities and support given to him in assumption of the position of the General Secretary of the Union, the first person from the South-East geo-political zone to get to the exalted position since the inception of the Union.