RTEAN Crisis: NEC Clears Osakpamwan, Dismisses Expulsion Report

The leadership crisis rocking the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) appears to be far from over as the National Executive Council (NEC) of the body yesterday insisted that Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo remains a bonafide and founding member of RTEAN and urged Nigerians to disregard any report of his expulsion.

RTEAN had last week in Benin City, Edo State, said Osakpamwan Eriyo, having served as Edo State chairman and national president of the association is no longer a member of the transport body.

But the National Executive Council (NEC) of RTEAN, through the national secretary, Hon Ya’u Abubakar Kajuru dismissed the report stating that Richard Aimienoho and Momoh are not members of the association in Edo State and wondered how Aimienoho would forget that Osakpamwan is the founding father of RTEAN in Edo State.

While debunking that Osakpamwan has been expelled from the union, the national secretary added that the case between Comrade Osakpamwan and Musa Mohammed is still pending in the court of appeal, Abuja Division, hence none of them have 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 is it Richard Aimienoho and Momoh that will be telling us the original members of RTEAN or what to do in the state?

“Sadly, Richard Aimienoho and others were the ones 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, the only recognised RTEAN leadership in Edo State is under Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo’s control and as such, Richard Aimienoho lacks the powers to delve into RTEAN matters in Edo State. More so, at the national level, the matter of who is the rightful president of the union is still pending at the Appeal Court in Abuja.

“Therefore, I would like to call on our people in Edo State and Nigeria to disregard Richard Aimienoho’s claims. 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 remain deputy president, Operations and deputy president, Administration, respectively.