….as Adeleke Bans Transport Union Activities In Osun
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Osun State chapter, has appointed Chief Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, as the caretaker Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state following the leadership crisis rocking the union.
The appointment came as Governor Ademola Adeleke directed the immediate suspension of all NURTW activities in motor parks across Osun State, ordering security agencies to arrest anyone parading as an official of the union.
The resolutions were reached after the 30 Local Government Council Chairmen and the Ife East Area Office, Modakeke elected under the platform of All Progressives Congress, held an emergency meeting with leaders of transport unions, including the motorcycle and tricycle unions, following Monday’s crisis involving rival NURTW factions.
In a statement jointly signed by ALGON Chairman, Hon. Samuel Idowu Abiodun; General Secretary, Hon. (Barr.) Olubisi Oladosu; and Public Relations Officer, Hon. Mufutau Adegbite on Thursday, the council chairmen described the crisis within the transport union as a security threat to the state and members of the public who rely on public transportation.
The council chairmen maintained that the earlier suspension of the union’s leadership would remain in force pending further review, explaining that the action was taken in the exercise of their constitutional powers over public motor parks in line with Paragraph 1(e) of the Fourth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
ALGON said there was a need to put a temporary leadership structure in place to safeguard the businesses of transport operators and ensure uninterrupted public transportation across the state.
Following consultations with all units and branches of the NURTW, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), motorcycle and tricycle unions, as well as traditional rulers and other stakeholders, the local government chairmen announced the appointment of caretaker management committees for the transport unions pending further consultations with the national leadership of the unions.
For the NURTW, Chief Kazeem Oyewale was appointed State Chairman, while Mutiu Ayinde and Luqman Ahmed emerged as State Secretary and State Treasurer respectively.
For the RTEAN, Rasheed Ayinde was appointed State Chairman, Mufutau Adebisi as State Secretary and Wahab Maruf Dodo as State Treasurer.
ALGON also announced Ismaila Raimi as Chairman of the Motorcycle and Tricycle Unions, with Adebayo Tajudeen and Tajudeen Akeem serving as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
The council chairmen directed that all union properties be handed over to the newly constituted caretaker committees and called on security agencies to provide the necessary support to ensure a smooth handover process.
ALGON also commended the Nigeria Police Force for its swift intervention during Monday’s crisis, saying the prompt response helped to avert bloodshed and restore normalcy to motor parks across the state.
The association further urged stakeholders to cooperate with the caretaker committees and appealed to security agencies to sustain surveillance at motor parks to guarantee the safety of transport operators and commuters while efforts continue to find a lasting solution to the leadership crisis.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke, after presiding over a meeting of the Osun State Security Council attended by heads and representatives of security agencies, directed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to immediately stop all activities of the NURTW in motor parks across the state.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Army, Air Force, Navy, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun), the Deputy Governor, Chief of Staff, Commissioner for Information and Special Adviser on Security Matters.
According to a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi on Thursday, the governor ordered an immediate halt to all NURTW activities, including the collection of levies in motor parks across the state.
Governor Adeleke also directed security agencies to arrest anyone parading as an official or executive of the NURTW in any motor park.
The governor explained that while motor parks would remain open, no individual or group would be allowed to operate in the name of the NURTW, warning that anyone found violating the directive would be arrested and prosecuted for disturbing public peace.
The security chiefs present at the meeting assured the governor of full compliance with the directive.
Governor Adeleke also approved the immediate establishment of a Rapid Response Squad comprising all security agencies in the state to enforce compliance with the directive and maintain law and order across motor parks.