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- Union cites CTC of judgment, urges govt to end ‘interference, harassment’
From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The Oyo chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has declared its readiness to resume full operations across motor parks following a Court of Appeal judgment that nullified the suspension of the union’s activities by the state government.
The union, in a statement issued on Tuesday and jointly signed by its State Chairman, Alhaji Abideen Olajide (Ejiogbe), and Secretary, Comrade Lekan Alesinloye, said a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the appellate court’s judgment had confirmed its legal right to return to operations without hindrance.
According to the union, the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, delivered a unanimous judgment on September 26, 2025, in Appeal No: CA/IB/263/2022 involving the NURTW and the Governor of Oyo State, the Attorney General of Oyo State, the Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transportation, and the Commissioner of Police as respondents.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Kenneth Amadi, held that the state government failed to justify its suspension of the union’s activities on grounds of maintaining peace and order.
“The respondents failed to justify the suspension of the activities of the Appellant based on the ground of breach of peace, law and order in Oyo State caused by the Appellant. I allow this appeal, set aside the suspension on the operations of the Appellant in Oyo State. I also set aside the judgment of the lower court. The judgment is entered accordingly,” the court ruled.
The union explained that the Certified True Copy of the judgment, dated October 3, 2025, was obtained from the Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan. It noted that the appellate court’s decision overturned the March 23, 2022 judgment of the National Industrial Court, Ibadan, which had upheld the government’s suspension order.
NURTW also pointed to a Notice of Preliminary Objection filed on April 23, 2026, by the Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, as further confirmation that the government was not preventing the union from operating.
According to the application, the Attorney General stated that the government had not taken any action to stop the union’s operations in the state and that no court order had been disobeyed by the government.
The union said the position taken by the Attorney General and the Commissioner for Transportation before the court gave members confidence that there should be no further obstacles to their return.
“With the Attorney General now on record before the Court of Appeal that government is not preventing NURTW from operating, we expect full compliance without further delay, victimisation or harassment of our members at motor parks,” the statement read.
The transport union subsequently called on the Oyo State Government and security agencies to ensure that its members are allowed to resume their duties peacefully in line with the court judgment.
It warned that any attempt to obstruct its operations would amount to contempt of court and a violation of the appellate court’s ruling.
Olajide and Alesinloye maintained that the union had been denied the opportunity to perform its lawful functions for about seven years and insisted that the legal dispute had now been settled.
“We have been out of our legitimate duties for seven years. The court has spoken. The government itself has told the court it is not preventing us. Drivers and operators should expect their union back in motor parks immediately,” the union leaders stated.
