Baruwa-led NURTW Wants Office Occupiers Ejected

The Baruwa-led National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has called on the inspector-general of police, IGP Olukayode Egbetekun, the director-general of the Department of State Services (DSS), to evict the current occupiers of the NURTW’s national headquarters.

The call was made by the representatives of Comrade Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, Babaleye & Co, the firm of Baruwa solicitors, at a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday.

Speaking at the briefing, the led counsel, Tolu Babaleye, said: “The entire brouhaha began when Comrade Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa was sworn in as the president of National Union of Road Transport Workers in accordance with the constitution of the union in 2023 and an errant faction of the union led by Alh. Najeem Usman Yasin, a former president of NURTW unsatisfied with the results of the election of the union, decided to take matters into their hands by formulating a caretaker committee, utilising some members of the Nigerian Police Force alongside some touts, to chase the legally elected officials from their office rather than take their grievances to the court (if any) for this to be resolved amicably.

“However, Comrade Baruwa, being a law-abiding citizen, rather than resort to violence, chose to go to the court to reaffirm the validity and legality of his presidency and condemn the illegal committee formed by the pained faction. Thus, a suit was instituted at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, and judgment was delivered in his favour on the 11th of March 2024 by Hon. Justice O.O. Oyewumi (now of the Court of Appeal), dissolving the illegal caretaker committee.

“Displeased with the court’s judgment, an appeal was entered at the Court of Appeal Abuja, led by the same Alhaji Yasin who sought to overturn the decision of the trial court. In a turn of events, however, the Court of Appeal, on the 8th of November 2024, dismissed the appeal of Alhaji Yasin and affirmed the judgment of the National Industrial Court, barring Alhaji Yasin and his cohorts from interfering in the day-to-day running of the union as led by Comrade Baruwa.”

The lawyer further stated that “To our utmost surprise, however, even before the victorious party could celebrate this decision of the honourable court, the news of the inauguration of Mr Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) as the national president of the union was announced in flagrant disobedience and disregard of the decision of the court despite being aware that the tenure of Comrade Baruwa ought to run until 2027 as confirmed by the court.

“We have since then made several attempts to get the government to disregard this aggravating development, including addressing several letters to relevant bodies of the government such as the inspector general of police, national security adviser, director-general of State Security Service, Attorney General of the Federation and the minister of labour and employment. However, to date, there has been no significant effort on their part to call these erring parties to order.”

While making their demands, Babaleye said, “We use this medium to call on the entire government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to call these usurpers and lawbreakers to order and prevent them from further maligning Comrade Baruwa as he is the only legally recognised national president of the union. He has won at all stages of courts, and they should give peace a chance.”