The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has inaugurated a seven-member caretaker committee to oversee its affairs in Osun State, despite the state government’s suspension of the union’s operations in motor parks.
The caretaker committee, led by Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, was inaugurated on Friday, July 24, at the union’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The development follows Governor Ademola Adeleke’s directive suspending NURTW activities across motor parks in the state, halting the collection of levies and ordering security agencies to arrest anyone operating under the union’s name after violent clashes between rival factions.
Speaking at the inauguration, NURTW National President Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, represented by Deputy National President Aliyu Issa Ore, insisted that the Osun State Government had no legal authority to suspend the union.
“Today, we heard that the state governor in Osun suspended the activities of our union, which they don’t have that power. Not any single state governor has power to suspend the activities of the union because we are not under any state,” Ore said.
He noted that the union had previously prevailed in similar legal disputes in other states and explained that the national leadership decided to constitute the caretaker committee after repeated efforts to engage the Osun chapter failed.
“We could not leave the activities of the union without having the leader on the ground. Today, it is my singular honour to inform you that these are the leadership that will be leading our union activities in Osun,” he added.
Ore further said the committee’s inauguration was necessary ahead of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, citing the union’s existing memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We have to inaugurate the caretaker members pending the time we resolve all issues attached to Osun,” he said.
