Femi Peters, Abeokuta
Ahead of the swearing in of Prince Dapo Abiodun’s as governor of Ogun State, on May 29, the national President of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeemdeen Yaasin, has warned the warring factions of the union in Ogun State to refrain from any act capable of returning the state to an era of violence and insecurity.
Yaasin gave the warning during a visit to the state to calm frayed nerves over reports of a planned hostile takeover of the union’s leadership in the state.
He declared that the Union has a proper laid-down means of changing leadership as “expressly stated” in the transport union’s constitution
The NURTW National President had led a strong delegation of the union, including Alh. Adeosun, the National Financial Secretary and chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the union, Alh. Tajudeen Agbede, among others.
They were in Ogun State on a courtesy visit to the governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun.
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They also met with the Department of State Security (DSS), the Dapo Abiodun Transition Committee and the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama.
While meeting with the governor, Yaasin appreciated the achievements of the State government in the area of security in the last eight years, noting that there has been palpable peace during the Alh. Adeosun-led union executive.
He warned that violence must not be allowed to return to the now peaceful state.
“There can be no handpicking of persons to head our union. When the time comes, the union decides who heads it at the respective states.
“All 36 States of the union will conduct elections to decide their leaders. There is nothing like taking over in this union.
“The era of using cutlasses and guns to take over garages in NURTW has been a thing of the past.
“We have a transition where we set a transition for the leadership of the union from the national secretariat.
“By August, we are going to have a national delegate conference where I will step down as the President of the union and elect a new democratically elected President, of the union.
“Two months after that, elections into the various offices of the 36 State council of the federation will commence.”
Responding, Governor Amosun commended the union for promoting peace in the State since the inception of his administration.
He also lauded them for seeking a peaceful transition, cautioning however that the peace must be sustained by the incoming government for continued development.
