The leadership crisis rocking the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) appeared to be far from over as the National Executive Council (NEC) on Friday insisted that Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo remains a bonafide and a founding member of RTEAN and urged Nigerians to disregard report of his expulsion.
Recall that RTEAN had last week in Benin City, Edo State, stated that Osakpamwan Eriyo, having served as Edo State chairman and National President of the association, was no longer a member of the transport union.
But, RTEAN NEC, through the national secretary, Hon. Ya’u Abubakar Kajuru dismissed the report and stated that Richard Aimienoho and Momoh were not members of the Association in Edo State and wondered how Aimienoho will descend so low to have lost his memories and forgot that Eriyo Osakpamwan is the founding father of RTEAN in Edo State.
While debunking that Osakpamwan has been expelled from the union, the National secretary reminded him that the case between Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo and Musa Mohammed was still pending in the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, hence none of them has the power to adjudicate on the issue concerning the leadership of the union in Edo State.
He said, “Come to think of it, who doesn’t know Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo in Edo State as a RTEAN leader. Or it is Richard Aimienoho and Momoh that are Godwin Obaseki boys that will be telling us the original members of RTEAN or what to do in the state?
“Sadly, Richard Aimienoho and others were the one who blackmailed Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo to Godwin Obaseki and the outgoing Governor used that to work against him and the interest of Edo state people both at the state and national levels.
“Anyway, as we speak with you now, the only recognised RTEAN leadership in Edo State is under Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo control. And as such Richard Aimienoho lacks the powers to delve into RTEAN matters in Edo state. More so at the national level since the matter of who is the rightful president of the union is still pending at the a
Appeal Court in Abuja.
“Therefore, I will like to call on our people in Edo State and Nigeria to disregard the shenanigans of Richard Aimienoho. He’s no longer a member of the union in Edo State.”
The statement by the National Secretary further stated that Kabiru Mohammed and Adam Anere remained deputy president (operations) and deputy president (administration), respectively.