The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has vowed to defend the mandate of its national president, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa over the current leadership tussle in the union.
Recalled that the former president of the union, Najeem Usman Yasin andbhis vice, Alhaji Tajudeen Badru Agbede had led some group to occupy the national secretariat of the union in the early hours of 28th August, 2023. The development has caused strong condemnation by the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Addressing the press in Abuja on the update, the national president Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa told journalists that the so called members of the Lagos Park Management Committee has refused to vacate the union headquarters till date, despite occupying it illegally.
He called on the Inspector General of Police ( IGP) Olukayode Egbetokun and Director General of Department of State Services ( DSS ), Yusuf Magaji Bichi to rein in the former President of the union, Alhaji Najeem Usman and former National Vice President , Alhaji Tajudeen Badru Agbede and their “hired thugs” to vacate the national secretariat of the union which was illegally burgled and occupied since three weeks ago.
He said the leadership of the union has taken several steps to resolve the problems including lodging of formal complaints to the Nigerian Police, DSS, Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Vice President office, National Security Adviser Ministry of Defence and Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) without any positive results.
Baruwa said that the union all agreed to stand by their mandate of the last special zonal delegates conference of 24th May, 2023 freely given to them by the various zonal special delegate conference.
He added that only a court of competent jurisdiction can invalidate their mandate and not through self- help by an individual or a group of individuals no matter how highly placed in the union.
He said, “I wish to remind the former national president and his cohorts that we are in a democratic era which is anchored by the rule of law as such any member(s) of the union that is aggrieved with the process and the outcome of the result of the election of the last special zonal delegates conference of 24th May, 2023 should follow due process (go to Court) as to do otherwise is to invite anarchy.
We shall henceforth not hesitate to defend our mandate with the last drop of our blood. enough is enough”.
