Following Okanlomo’s appointment, the union also announced the dissolution of the earlier inaugurated 35-member Lagos State RTEAN executive council.
The RTEAN National President, Musa Muhammed, made the development known in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday.
Muhammed said, “In reference to the resolution reached by the Federal Executive Council and organised Labour in reconciling our matter with the Lagos State Government and the national executive of our great association, the RTEAN, we announce the dissolution of our former structure of Lagos State executives council members, and adopt the appointment of Adeshina Hussaini (Okanlomo) as the chairman of the Lagos State branch of the RTEAN.
“All those members who were suspended in the course of the matter are hereby recalled for the interest of peace and harmony in the state. We call on all members to be law-abiding and constitutionally guided.”
In another statement signed by the RTEAN General Secretary, Yusuf Adeniyi, the union noted that the move complied with the provision of item 6 of the Memorandum of Understanding dated October 2, 2023, between the Federal Government of Nigeria and organised labour, to bolster industrial harmony and ensure strict adherence to the rule of law.
Adeniyi said, “The contentious issue of RTEAN leadership has been laid to rest with the unanimous appointment of a new state chairman. Adesina Hussaini a.k.a Okanlomo is the new chairman of the RTEAN in Lagos State effective from January 1, 2024.
“The Lagos State RTEAN and all property hitherto taken away will hereby be returned to the union. The operation of the RTEAN in all motor parks in Lagos State is to resume with immediate effect. No member of the RTEAN will be victimised by the union or the Lagos State Government for their role in the dispute.
“We are therefore calling on all our members to comply with the peaceful resolution reached and cooperate with the government and security agencies in discharging their duties. We thank all those who contributed in one way or the other, for seeing this matter get resolved amicably.”
The Federal Government resolved the 15-month-long dispute between the RTEAN and the Lagos State Government.
In a letter dated January 6, 2024, and addressed to the Trade Union Congress, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, revealed that the ban initially slammed on the union’s operations in Lagos State had been lifted following a peace move brokered during a meeting with the leadership of the organised labour.
The resolution laid to rest the contentious issue of RTEAN leadership with the unanimous appointment of a new leadership for the union in the state.
For 15 months, the activities of the RTEAN were banned in Lagos state following a leadership crisis that engulfed the association.
This led the state government to slam a ban on the association and subsequently appointed a 35-man Caretaker Committee to take over the activities of the union.
However, the intervention of the Office of the NSA has now brought an amicable resolution of all issues that were initially in dispute.
In the letter signed by the NSA and addressed to the Secretary-General of the TUC, it was revealed that Adeshina Teslim (aka Okanlomo), has been appointed as the new Chairman of the RTEAN in Lagos State with effect from January 1, 2024.
According to Ribadu, the Lagos State office of the RTEAN and all properties hitherto taken away will returned to the union.
He added that the operation of the RTEAN in all motor parks in Lagos State is to resume with immediate effect.
“No member of RTEAN will be victimised by the union or Lagos State Government for their role in the dispute. Lagos State Government, its agencies, and the general public are to be intimated about the peaceful resolution.
“On this premise, you are humbly requested to intimate the union on the amicable resolution of the dispute and the highlights of the agreements reached,” the NSA stated in the letter.
Ribadu noted that the action complied with the provisions of Item 6 of the Memorandum of Understanding dated October 2, 2023, between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Organised Labour to intervene in the crisis to facilitate peaceful resolution of the issues.
The intervention of the Federal Government, he said, was also in line with the commitment of the present administration to bolster industrial harmony and ensure strict adherence to the rule of law.
