NURTW Dissolves State Councils

Following the recent inauguration of the new president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Yasin and the National Working Committee, the axe of the transport union has fallen on the Rafiu Akanni Olohunwa-led Lagos State council and others across the 36 states of the federation.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the dissolution of the state councils of the union last Friday by Yasin came a few minutes after he took oath of office and read out his acceptance speech at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The dissolution, it was further gathered, was necessary and in accordance with the union’s constitution which makes it lawful for any emerging president to dissolve all state councils and organise fresh elections.

Thus, it brings to an end, the crisis-ridden two-year tenure of Akanni Olohunwa, the chairman of the Lagos council of the union and his excos whose tenure would have come to an end in 2013 as well as the unrest created by the Tokyo/Auxiliary factions in Oyo State.

Speaking at the ceremony, the new president said that caretaker committees will be set up to steer the affairs of the union across the 36 states of the federation, while that of Lagos State is expected to resume at the Abule-Egba secretariat of the union in Lagos today.

Imploring all members to support the new caretaker committees set up by the National Working Committee, Yasin promised that within a period of 30 days, elections would hold across the country as provided by the union’s constitution.

“As we berth on a new administration, I ask for your support, patriotism and faithfulness. Let us give support to our leaders and ensure a healthy relationship among our members. This administration will not give room to bad sheep to operate and there must be unity always,” he stated.

Speaking on the development, a five-branch team in the Lagos State council of the union which recently formed a coalition to fight bad administration in the union, has hailed the dissolution of all state excos, saying it will pave the way for a new beginning.

According to a joint press release signed by some executive members of Yaba, Mushin, Fadeyi, Ikotun and Lawanson branches of the union who formed the coalition, “most members have suffered serious setbacks in their business in the last three years due to the excesses of their leaders, but now a new dawn seems to be approaching.

“There is mismanagement of funds in the union and this must stop. As registered and card-carrying members of NURTW, we cannot continue to serve people who are not our members. It is a case of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop. We have lamented, written petitions and even reported to the national leadership but there has been no solution yet, but we hope the new administrators would learn from the mistakes of their predecessors and make amends.”