BREAKING: Court Affirms Baruwa As NURTW President, Declares Agbede-led Caretaker Committee Illegal

ABUJA – A National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja on monday affirmed  Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa as validly elected President for the second term of National Union of Road Transport Workers  (NURTW) just as it sacked the Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede’s led Chairman Caretaker Committee.

Justice Oyewumi also restrained forthwith the former President of the union, Comrade Najeem Usman Yasin who was also the Chairman Board of Trustees from interfering in the day to day running of the affairs of the union. She held that Najeem can act as chairman of the board.

The presiding judge Justice O.O Oyewumi while delivering  her judgment on the leadership crisis rocking the union held that the Zonal Delegates Conference across the six zonal councils of the union held on 24th May 2023 where  Baruwa emerged as President for a second term in office was valid.

The court also validated the Quadrennial National Delegate Conference held on August 23rd 2023 at Ta’aL Hotels Lafia Nasarawa State where the President and other national officers emerged and inaugurated.

Oyewumi  declared as illegal, null and void and unconstitutional the national delegates conference held on 25th October 2023 where the so-called Acting President, Alhaji Isa Ore and his National Administrative Council were said to have emerged.

She ruled that there was no evidence of crisis in the union and therefore there was no basis for the invocation of  ‘doctrine of necessity’ which led to the constitution of the so-called Caretaker Committee.

 Recall that the Lagos State Park Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya (Aka MC Oluomo) was on August 28, 2023 forcefully took over the secretariat of the union located at Garki 2 after a violent attack on the national officers and staff despite the armed security agents deployed to provide security.

Baruwa was arrested on  September 13, 2023 alongside four other national officers of the union by the police and detained at the former facility of the Special Anti Robbery Squad ( SARS ) in Abuja

 The situation that forced the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to give Nigerian Police 48 hours to vacate the secretariat of the union  or face shutdown

In a communiqué signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union threatened it would muster all its affiliates for a showdown in support of what it said is the legally elected NURTW leadership.

It accused the Nigeria Police Force of interfering in the internal affairs of NURTW and other unions, saying the police have usurped powers of arbitration in disputes, contrary to the dictates of statutes governing industrial relations.

It alleged that the Inspector General of Police acquiesced to invasion of the NURTW national secretariat to unseat the elected leadership and install a stooge.

It affirmed legality of the Baruwa-led leadership, warning that moves to upturn governance of the transport union could lead to violence.