6th August, 2010
The sacked Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Oyo State, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola, who was recently reinstated by the National Industrial Court, NIC, Abuja, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, to order his men to implement the decision of the court.
Tokyo, who spoke to P.M.NEWS, berated the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Adisa Baba Bolanta, over the position he has taken on the matter.
He stated that more than a week after the court reinstated him as the NURTW chairman, Bolanta has created an nvironment which was not possible for him to resume work.
He stated that he did not want to resort to violence, adding that he needs police protection to peacefully take over his office from Alhaji Lateef Salako alias Eleweomo who is battle ready to resist him with his thugs.
“Industrial court ordered that Eleweomo should vacate the NURTW secretariat at Olomi immediately and that he should stop parading himself as a chairman of NURTW, Oyo State. The court further stated that I should immediately go back to my office as the chairman of the union in the state. I gave the judgment to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ogbonnaya Onovo and he directed us to Bolanta to provide us security. But Bolanta has refused to do that.
“He refused to give us security because he is working for the governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala. They are doing all this because of 2011 election. They are supporting Eleweomo so that they can use him to foment trouble during the 2011 election but I know it will not be possible,†Tokyo stated.
He noted that Eleweomo could not stop the legal implementation of the order of the court, adding that it was a matter of time, he would soon gain full control of the union.
Tokyo, yesterday filed a suit at National Industrial Court asking the court to send the Oyo State Commissioner of Police to prison for failure to implement the order of the court.
A notable Ibadan indigene, Senator Lekan Balogun has berated the Oyo State Police Command for taking sides in the NURTW crisis.
He described the position of Bolanta as unconstitutional and urged the police authorities to quickly ensure that the order of court on the Oyo State NURTW is implemented.
—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan