19th September, 2011
Members of Lagos State Council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), have debunked a recent newspaper report that former chairman, Alhaji Rafiu Akanni Olohunwa, has been temporarily returned to oversee the affairs of the union, pending the outcome of the forthcoming election.
In a press release signed by the publicity secretary of the Cele/Isolo/Ejigbo branch of the union, Mr. Hakeem Ogundele, the members said the tenure of Olohunwa effectively came to an end on 17 August, following the dissolution of the Lagos executive council of the union in line with the provisions of its constitution.
Ogundele said the statement credited to a state official of the union is a calculated move to bring in, through the back door, what members have effectively thrown out through the window.
He described as appalling, a statement credited to Alhaji Olohunwa that members of the former executive council at Cele bus stop, who were arrested and charged to court by the police at Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, for allegedly being in unlawful possession of guns and ammunition, should be in control of the park.
“Suffice it to say that this shows the type of character the former chairman is, Olohunwa can never come back as our state chairman. He should first go and sort himself out of various allegations of misappropriation of funds estimated at over N14 billion by the EFCC and the ICPC,†Ogundele said, adding that throughout his strangle hold on power, Olohunwa cannot point to a single project he executed, rather, he said, he imposed all sorts of levies that were unheard of on members, which further pauperised them.
He described the report as a calculated attempt to misinform and further pauperise the union and therefore urged members to hold on firmly to their commitment to put an end to an oppressive and corrupt administration.