26th August, 2011
Members of the Ogba branch of the Lagos State National Union of Road Transports Workers, NURTW, has urged the state government, Police and the Commissioner for Transportation to call everyone involved in the union’s crisis to maintain peace, following the recent inauguration of the new national president of the union, Alhaji Najeem Yasin, and the National Working Committee.
They said the axe of the union has fallen on the Rafiu Akanni Olohunwa of Lagos State council and others across the 36 states of the federation.
Information made available to P.M.News on the union’s events in the last two weeks have shown that the ongoing leadership crisis within the Lagos State chapter of the union has taken a frightening dimension. This is due to perceived interference by external forces, mutual distrust, supremacy battle as well as alleged imposition of candidates on members in some branches in the state.
Most recent is the threatening and manhandling of commercial motor operators and innocent people by hoodlums suspected to have come from Ogun State. They appealed to the police boss to help maintain peace as Ogba branch of NURTW has always been peaceful.
Some of the aforementioned problems, according to the information, have led to violent protests by members of the union which resulted in the loss of lives, wanton destruction of property and people sustaining injuries in places like Oshodi, Mushin, Onipanu, Cele Bus stop, Apapa-Oshodi expressway, Mile 2, as well as Ebute-Ero.
They, therefore, appealed to the Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, to help restore peace at the motor parks in the state.
— Daniels Ekugo