The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has inaugurated a seven-member caretaker committee to oversee the union’s affairs in Osun State, despite the state government’s suspension of the union’s activities across motor parks.
The committee, chaired by Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, was inaugurated on Friday at the union’s national headquarters in Abuja.
The development comes days after Governor Ademola Adeleke suspended the activities of the NURTW in motor parks across the state, halted the collection of levies and directed security agencies to arrest anyone operating in the name of the union following violent clashes between rival factions.
Speaking during the inauguration, NURTW National President Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, represented by his deputy, Aliyu Issa Ore, rejected the state government’s action, insisting that no state governor has the constitutional authority to suspend the activities of the union.
“Today, we heard that the state governor in Osun suspended the activities of our union, which they don’t have that power. Not any single state governor has power to suspend the activities of the union because we are not under any state,” Ore said.
He added that the national leadership decided to constitute the caretaker committee after repeated efforts to engage the union’s leadership in Osun failed.
“We could not leave the activities of the union without having the leader on the ground. Today, it is my singular honour to inform you that these are the leadership that will be leading our union activities in Osun,” he stated.
Ore also said the appointment of the caretaker committee was necessary ahead of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, noting that the union has an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We have to inaugurate the caretaker members pending the time we resolve all issues attached to Osun,” he added.
The inauguration comes amid an ongoing disagreement between the Osun State Government and the national leadership of the NURTW over the union’s operations within the state. The state government has maintained that the suspension was introduced to restore order following recent violence, while the union insists the action exceeds the governor’s legal powers.
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