The National Union of Road Transport Workers in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State have asked a parallel leader of the union, Tajudeen Agbede, to vacate its national secretariat or get ready for a confrontation.
The NURTW also said it could no longer remain silent in the face of the Agbede group’s continued occupation and takeover of its national secretariat, adding that ‘enough is enough’.
The union said this on Sunday in a statement co-signed by Ibrahim Kuje and Saliu Adamu, the chairmen of the union’s branches in the FCT and Nasarawa State, respectively.
The chairmen, in a bid to prevent an impending carnage, also pleaded with the Nigeria Police and other security services to caution Agbede.
In August 2023, a caretaker committee was formed at a parallel delegates’ conference of the union in Abuja, which nominated Agbede as acting president after it was declared that the Tajudeen Baruwa-led executive had been dissolved due to the end of their term.
A second parallel delegates’ conference was conducted in Lafia, Nasarawa State, which saw Baruwa elected for a second term, two days before his removal.
The chairmen noted, “We are warning Agbede and his gang of alleged hired thugs to vacate the national headquarters of the union or prepare for a showdown.
“The entire leadership and membership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers were jolted by the commando style of attack unleashed on the headquarters of the union by alleged hired thugs from Lagos and Ilorin on Monday 28th August 2023, wherein Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede was illegally installed as caretaker President of the union, in place of a legitimate elected President in the person of Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa.
“Toppling of an elected trade union President is similar to a coup d’etat and should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians and members of the union. The Constitution of the union frowns seriously against the use of any means other than that as prescribed by the constitution to effect a change in any organ of the Union.”
“Given the foregoing, the officers and members of the union in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State have unanimously resolved that they will not fold their hands and watch impostors continue to occupy the National Headquarters of the union in FCT.
Explaining further, they stated that they had refrained from launching a counterattack in the vain hope that common sense would convince them to leave the union’s offices so the legitimate President could take over.
“While sounding a note of caution to the erstwhile President of the union, Najeem Yasin who allegedly led the group to tread with caution and desist from acts of illegality aimed at destabilizing the union which he has benefited more than any of the past leaders.”
While also arguing that a former leader of the union Najeem Yasin has allegedly been using the police to harass and intimidate them, claiming that the Inspector General of Police is his personal friend and brother, he urged him to desist forthwith.
They insisted that the union is not a business owned by the former president of the union, who had completed his duties as president and should give Mr Baruwa, the current president, some breathing room.
“Meanwhile, the union welcomes with open arms, all those who joined park management and now wish to return to the fold of the Union,” it said.
