The leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has accused the Minister of Labour and Employment, Solomon Lalong, of picking a side with the group, led by Tajudeen Agbede, in the ongoing reconciliation process of the leadership of the union.
This development seems to have worsened the crisis rocking the union.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court Can Accept Fresh Evidence, Atiku Tells Tinubu
The President of the Union, Tajudeen Baruwa made the accusation in a statement titled “NURTW Condemns Minister of Labour’s Bias In Ongoing Reconciliation Process” which was signed by the General Secretary of the union, Anthony Chukwudi.
He noted that the minister held a secret meeting with the Agbede-led group, where he allegedly gave his approval for a delegates’ conference to elect a new leadership for the union.
According to the statement, the directive to organise a fresh Delegates’ Conference when the tenure of the existing executive officers has not expired, contravenes the provisions of the union’s constitution.
“For record purposes, we would like to state here that the Minister held a clandestine meeting with Agbede’s led group of the union on Wednesday 18th, 2023 in his office where he told the dissident group to organize 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 the quadrennial delegates conference of the union shall be held 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 disclosed that 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 union 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.
“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.
“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” the statement reads.
