Oyo NURTW group slams Auxiliary over chairmanship claim

A concerned group in the Oyo State branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo NURTW Vanguard, has slammed a former factional chairman of the union in the state, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, over his claim that he is now the chairman of the union in Oyo State.

The group in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Abdulmalik Ibidapo, a copy of which was made available to the Tribune Online on Monday, noted with disdain claim by Lamidi in a recent newspaper publication that he is now the chairman of NURTW in Oyo State.

The group said, “Aside the fact that such comment is falsehood at its peak, it is capable of causing rancour within the union which could lead to unwarranted crisis.

“The questions at hand now is when was he sworn-in as chairman? who and who voted for him? Was there any consesus? If there was one, was the reasonable percentage of members represented? what gave him the conviction that all factions are comfortable with the arrangement? And has the the ban on the union activities been lifted?.”

The group further stated that, “If we are going to have a chairman, such person must possess qualities equal to the likes of a prominent NURTW chieftain in Lagos State, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya popularly known as Mc Oluomo whose son won a landmark academic award in far away United States of America recently.

“We want the calibre of former chairmen of the union in Oyo state such as Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (Tokyo), Late Taofeek Oyerinde (Fele), Late Ismaila Salako (Eleweomo) and the immediate past chairman, Alhaji Abideen Olajide (Ejiogbe).

“These aforementioned people are reference point when we talk of men with high level responsibility both as fathers and leaders of men. Their children were educated here in Nigeria and foreign countries. These are the kind of people we want to run the affairs of our union and not the other way round.”

The group, however, added that it was during the reign of Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi as factional chairman of Oyo NURTW that constant disturbance of public peace were highly pronounced. It, therefore, urged law enforcement agencies in the state to, in the interest of the general public peace take note of a possible return of crisis in Oyo State.