N5m insurance scandal: We’ve been vindicated — NURTW elders’ forum

The Southwest Elders forum of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has expressed sadness over report by the National Assembly that the outgoing President of the union, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, allegedly collected the sum of Five million(N5 million) from a businessman in Osogbo, Osun state to facilitate Memorandum of Understanding for health insurance scheme for members of the union.

The forum in a statement titled “we have been vindicated” and jointly signed by Pa Samuel Jonah and Alhaji Moshood Ajao, chairman and coordinator respectively, stated that the probe initiated against the person of Baruwa has vindicated the southwest elders of the union that if Baruwa is not quickly removed, he will cause more irredeemable damages to the union, warning members of the public, financial institution and corporate bodies to be cautious of doing business with the NURTW for now until new administration takes over  the affairs of the union in August 2023.

It will be recalled that House of Representatives, last Thursday initiated plans to investigate the activities of the outgoing president of the union following a petition forwarded to the House by an Osogbo-based businessman, accusing Baruwa of collecting a sum of Five million from him to facilitate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the health insurance scheme for members of the union

The union elders lamented that the Osogbo case may just be one out of many alleged fraudulent activities of the Baruwa administration, stating that Baruwa knowing fully well that the NURTW is not in existence in Osun and other southwest state shouldn’t have collected money from the businessman.

“We have been clamouring that Baruwa should go because we as elders in the union have seen the direction which he was dragging the union to and the earlier the better we rescue our union from his grip. We should not allow him to cause more financial problems for the coming administration. If we are not careful, he may use our National secretariat building as collateral to get loan from banks.

“Since he assumed office in 2019 , he has not facilitated any meaningful development to the union, instead he has destroyed the union, especially in the southwest. We regret endorsing him as our candidate then. It was a big mistake on our part and to correct the mistake we made then, we have been calling on our members from other five zones to cooperate with us to remove Baruwa and inaugurate Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, our preferred candidate from southwest as president come next August. Baruwa has destroyed the union and to avoid further damages he should go. He is no longer our candidate for the next delegate conference,” the statement added.

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