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From Fred Itua, Abuja
President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Tajudeen Baruwa has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong of bias for allegedly taking sides with the Tajudeen Agbede’s led group in the ongoing reconciliation process of the union.
Baruwa disclosed this in a statement issued by the General Secretary of the union, Comrade Anthony Asogwa Chukwudi in Abuja.
The president said the Minister held a clandestine meeting with Agbede’s led group of the union on Wednesday 18th, 2023 in his office where he allegedly made a statement when he asked the dissident group to organise a fresh National Quadrennial Delegates Conference in contravention of the provisions of the union’s constitution particularly Article 8 Section 2 (1 ) .
“It is pertinent to state here that the above quoted article provides that quadrennial delegates conference of the union shall hold in the month of August of every four years.
“Recall that the same constitution was approved by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in accordance with the extant labour laws.
“According to a reliable source who was also present at the meeting but pleaded anonymity said the Minister unequivocally said the group should go ahead and conduct a quadrennial delegates conference and that they cannot because of one person allow the unon to die or disintegrate.
“It would be recalled that the reconciliation meeting has already been fixed for October 24,2023 for both groups but we were taken by surprise by the Minister’s clandestine meeting with the dissident group.
“We would like the general public to know that when such a statement is coming from a government official who is expected to be unbiased umpire will further aggravate the problem of the union instead of solving it.
“Also we are shocked to discover that Agbede’s led group are still operating unhindered at the National Secretariat of the union despite the directive issued by the same Minister in a letter dated 9th October 2023 that suspended all the operations of both groups including further conduct of any election,” he said.
The statement noted that the Ministry of Labour and Employment where the Minister superintends is a creation of the law and he should not be seen acting outside or contrary to the laws by giving contradicting directives.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the union had on May 24, 2023 held its special zonal delegates conference in the six geopolitical zones of the union while those who emerged were sworn-in on August 23, 2023 during the 10th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference at Ta’al Hotel in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
“We hereby wish to call on the Minister of Labour and Employment, Solomon Lalong to retrace his steps and desist from the path that would further jeopardize the ongoing reconciliation process in the union.
“It is most unfortunate and unbecoming of the Minister who is a lawyer to be seen supporting and/or laying credence to lawlessness and civilian coup d’état.
“Similarly, the NLC is not imposing Baruwa on the union as being insinuated by Alh. Najeem Usman Yasin & his cohorts. It is on record that it is Alh. Najeem Yasin that is foisting Alh. Tajudeen Agbede on the union having forcefully taken over the National Secretariat of the union on 28th August, 2023,” he added.
