There is tension in the Lagos State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) over the crisis between it and the national leadership of the association, Daily Trust can report.
There has been no love lost between the state council, led by Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as MC Oluomo, and the national leadership of the union led by Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa.
The development is generating tension in the state amidst the divided loyalty by the NURTW members.
Daily Trust reports that the union has been enmeshed in crisis over the directive by the National Union to Oluomo to inaugurate Alhaji Azeez Abiola as the state chairman of the Tricycle Operators and Owners Association of Nigeria (TOOAN), an affiliate of the NURTW.
Following the development, the union issued a query to Oluomo, accusing him of insubordination and failing to carry out the instructions of the national leadership.
The union’s letter, dated February 14, by the general secretary of the union, Alhaji Kabiru Ado Yau, accused Olumo of refusing to carry out directives given to him by the national body.
It reads: “Our attention has been drawn to the fact that despite the national secretariat’s directives during a meeting with you and other members of the Lagos State Administrative Council (SAC) in Abuja on February 9, pertaining the appointment of Alhaji Azeez Abiola as chairman, Lagos State NURTW Tricycle Operators, you have refused to comply. Instead, you have resorted to intimidation and assault on the newly appointed tricycle chairman.”
The National body added that Akinsanya refused to hand over the former NURTW Secretariat situated at Abule Egba to the tricycle caretaker committee in a bid to prevent them from using the office.
Akinsanya was also accused by the national body of using thugs to forcefully take over branches of his perceived enemies.
“It is on record that you mobilised thugs to forcefully take over the operations of some local branches headed by perceived opponents,” it said.
In his reply to the query, Oluomo denied the allegations levelled against him that he was using thugs to forcefully take over branches of his perceived enemies.
He said he complied with the laws guiding the union’s operations in his dealings with other affiliate unions.
He assured that he would not do anything “to tarnish the image of the union nor bring the union back to the inglorious position of being branded as thugs and disturbers of the public peace in Lagos.”
As a follow-up to the reply, some NURTW members stormed the Marina Lagos House protesting what they called interference in the affairs of the state by the national body.
Leaders and some members of all branches of the NURTW in Lagos State also passed a vote of confidence on Akinsanya in the present conflict with the national body.
In a letter submitted to the governor by a team led by the State Treasurer, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle (aka Sego), the union members described the recent query issued to Akinsanya as unfair.
They urged the national body to allow the Akinsanya-led executive to run the Lagos State Council affairs without “meddlesomeness.”
The governor promised to look into their grievances, commending the union members for not taking laws into their hands.
The Commissioner for Transportation in the state, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, could not be reached for comment Tuesday but a source told our correspondent that the government was concerned about the crisis and it was looking into it.
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