NURTW crisis worsens as caretaker committee emerges

The crisis in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) deepened Sunday following the emergence of a caretaker committee presided over by Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede.

The caretaker committee also announced the dissolution of the Tajudeen Baruwa-led executive citing expiration of their tenure.

Agbede who was announced as the acting president was Baruwa’s vice-president.

Daily Trust however reports that the emergency delegates’ conference was held a few days after Baruwa was elected for a second term at another delegates’ conference held in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

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Our correspondent learnt that both Baruwa and Agbede were in a hot race for the soul of the number one transportation union in Nigeria.

After the 10th Triennial Delegates’ conference in Abuja was stalled, the members loyal to Baruwa moved the confab to Nasarawa where the embattled national president was re-elected for a second term.

Bawuwa also disclosed the union’s readiness to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu towards actualising its economic policies and programmes already outlined for implementation within the next four years.

But on Sunday, another parallel delegate’s conference was held in Abuja where Agbede was appointed the acting president.

Kayode Agbeyangi who took over as the acting general secretary, announced the composition of a caretaker committee.

He said the constitution of the caretaker committee was to avoid a vacuum in the leadership of the union.

Agbeyangi said the caretaker committee would organise a proper delegate’s conference within a few months in office.

He said the Abuja Conference had representatives from all the states of the federation in attendance unlike the one held last week in Nasarawa that returned Tajudeen Baruwa as president.

Agbede, in his acceptance speech, said his emergence was a new beginning in the history of the union which would provide an opportunity to right the wrong in the union.

According to him, the last four years of Baruwa has been a total waste in the history of the union with no development.

Baruwa could not be reached for a reaction to the emergence of the caretaker committee as his number was not reachable. A text message sent to his mobile number was not replied as of press time.