Ondo NURTW protest against alleged imposition of State Chairman

Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ondo State, have protested against what they described as the interference of the state government in the affairs of the state council of the union.

The protesting members of the union protested in Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state alleged that the state government is planning to impose the immediate past chairman of the union, Jacob Adebo on the union for a second term.

According to the protesting drivers, who alleged that there was a ploy by some individuals in the corridor of power in the state to use the state machinery to proscribe the union if members of the union refused the imposition of the immediate past chairman.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting drivers, Gbenga Ijalade, maintained that members of the union have always conducted themselves in a peaceful manner to ensure the development of the state

He said, “We won’t fight if they proscribe our union, we won’t fight, but we will wait till election season when we will choose the candidate that will not punish us.”

According to him, “they have been threatening us that if we do not allow them to impose Jacob Adebo on us, they will proscribe our union.

“Idajo has one vote among over 5000 drivers in our state. The majority decides, but they want to impose him on us. We will adhere strictly to the court judgement. We have resolved not to withdraw the case from the court.”

Ijalade stated that the protest became necessary to draw the attention of the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to the imposition and proscription plan by some faceless people in his administration.

He disclosed that the union insisted on the election in line with the dictate of its constitution rather imposition which ran contrary to the union’s constitution.

The union, however, threatened to withdraw its support for the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the next general elections if the state government eventually proscribes the union to impose Adebo on them.

“NURTW is beyond thuggery. We are not buying weapons. Keep your PVC and ensure our children who just attained 18 years get registered at the nearest INEC office. With our family members, we are more than 25,000 voters in this state.

“We urged our national leadership to follow the constitution of our union. We don’t want the state government to take a side with anyone.

“Our national headquarters had written to the state government to allow our union to hold our election, but we were not allowed to hold the election,” he said

Meanwhile, the state government has intervened in the crisis rocking the state chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) by setting up a Motor Park Management Committee in all the Motor Parks in the state.

This was contained in a statement signed by Press Secretary, to the Office of the Deputy Governor, Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson said the new Motor Park Management Committee will henceforth manage and administer all the Public Motor Parks in the State.

The statement read “The Government noted the unfortunate unending crisis and litigation involving the Union in Court which has adversely affected activities in the Public Motor Parks in the state.

“The Government, therefore, has decided to take over all the Public Motor Parks in the State and set up a Committee to administer same. The Union’s activities in Public Parks in the State are accordingly suspended.

The new Committee Park Management Committee is headed by the Chairman of the NURTW in the state, Jacob Adebo and to be assisted by Festus Obasooto as vice-Chairman and Gbenga Bayode as Secretary.

He said the Committee shall report to the Governor of the State through the Office of Special Adviser to the Governor on Union Matters and Special Duties.

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