The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) faction led by Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa has called on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to evict the current occupiers at the national headquarters of the union.
Baruwa made the call through a press briefing addressed by his legal representatives, Babaleye & Co., in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking at the briefing, the firm’s lead counsel, Barr Tolu Babaleye said: “The entire brouhaha began when Comrade Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa was sworn in as the President of National Union of Road Transport Workers in accordance with the Constitution of the Union in 2023, and an errant faction of the union led by Alh. Najeem Usman Yasin, a former president of NURTW being unsatisfied with the results of the election of the Union, decided to take matters into their hands by formulating a caretaker committee, utilizing some members of the Nigerian Police Force alongside some touts, to chase the legally elected officials from their office rather than take their grievances’ to the court (if any) for this to be resolved amicably.
“However, Comrade Baruwa being a law abiding citizen, rather than result to violence chose to go to the court to reaffirm the validity and legality of his presidency and condemn the illegal committee formed by the pained faction. Thus, a suit was instituted at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and judgment was delivered in his favour on the 11th of March 2024 by Hon. Justice O.O. Oyewumi, (now of the Court of Appeal), dissolving the illegal caretaker committee.
“Being displeased with the judgment of the court, an appeal was entered at the Court of Appeal Abuja, led by the same Alh. Yasin wherein he sought to overturn the decision of the trial court.
“In a turn of events however, the Court of Appeal on the 8th of November 2024, dismissed the appeal of Alh. Yasin and affirmed the judgment of the National Industrial Court, barring Alh. Yasin and his cohorts from interfering in the day to day running of the union as led by Comrade Baruwa.”
Babaleye further added that “to our utmost surprise however, even before this decision of the honourable court could be celebrated by the victorious party, the news of the inauguration of Mr. Musiliu Akinsanya (MC Oluomo) as the national president of the union was announced in flagrant disobedience and disregard of the decision of the Court despite being aware that the tenure of Comrade Baruwa ought to run until 2027 as confirmed by the court.
“We have since then made several attempts to get the government to disregard this aggravating development including addressing several letters to relevant bodies of the government such as the Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, Director-General of State Security Service, Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Labour and Employment. However, till date, there has been no significant effort on their part to call these erring parties to order.”
While making their demands, Babaleye said called on the federal government to call “these usurpers and law breakers to order and prevent them from further maligning Comrade Baruwa as he is the only legally recognised national president of the union. He has won at all stages of courts and they should give peace a chance.”