NURTW crisis: Agbede appointed acting president at Abuja conference

The vice president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, has been appointed as the union’s acting president.

His appointment was announced on Sunday at an emergency delegate conference in Abuja.

A similar conference was held last week in Nasarawa State, where Tajudeen Baruwa was returned as the union’s president.

But after the Tajudeen Baruwa-led executive committee was declared dissolved on Sunday following what was described as the expiration of its tenure, Kayode Agbeyangi, who took over as the acting general secretary, announced the composition of a caretaker committee. He said this was to avoid a vacuum in the union’s leadership.

Agbeyangi said the caretaker committee would organise a proper delegate conference in a few months.

He said the Abuja conference had representatives from all the federation states in attendance, unlike the one held last week in Nasarawa that returned Tajudeen Baruwa as president.

Agbede, in his acceptance speech, promised to right all the wrongs of Baruwa while in office.

Describing his emergence as a new beginning in the history of the union, he said: “The last four years of the former president has been a total waste in the history of our union: no development. He destroyed all the legacies handed over to him by his predecessor, Alhaj Najeem Yasin. Our union was always in the news throughout his four-year tenure for bad reasons.

“One major problem created by the former president was the illegal suspension and expulsion of members without genuine reasons. He destroyed our union, especially in the South West zone.

“I, on behalf of the caretaker committee, leaders, elders and members of our great union, hereby, lift the illegal suspension and expulsion of our esteemed members across the federation.

“To all our members in various states who have been forced to join the parks and garage management committee, I urge everyone to return home to the union.

“We shall be visiting all the state governments in the affected states to return the union activities in the affected state councils.

“To our elders and former leaders, this is your administration. All the welfare packages for elders under Yasin will be brought back. To staff and members, your welfare will be given utmost attention.

“Finally, I pray that our union will never again experience the type of maladministration under Baruwa.”

Other members of the caretaker committee are Aliyu Issa Ore, Deputy President; Alhassan Haruna, Treasurer; Uwem James, Financial Secretary; Kayode Agbeyangi, acting General Secretary; Hakeem Adeosun; Ademola Adeoye, Pastor O.D Kalango, Chief M. Ariyo, Saturday Edo, Chief Mathew Asogwa, Garba Musa, Jerome Ukor, Yahaya Ibrahim, Tukur Bichi, Hajiya Rabiat Abubakar, Usman Bagudu, Salisu Dan Aude, Abdulazeez Yawale, Yusuf Haruna, Shaibu Bello, Bala Ibrahim, Salleh Bakurus and Musa Waziri.

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