The president, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Najeem Yasin has warned members of the Oyo State chapter against any incursion into motor parks aimed at forcing a change in the leadership of the union upon the swearing in of the Seyi Makinde led government on May 29.
According to Yasin, the Mr Abideen Olajide “Ejiogbe” leadership of the Oyo NURTW subsisted until October when all states will have delegates conferences to change their leadership.
Speaking when he made a courtesy call on Governor Abiola Ajimobi at Governor’s office, Secretariat, Ibadan, on Friday, Nigerian Tribune quoted Yasin as vowing to ensure that the law takes its course if anyone attempted to take over motor parks because there was a change in the political leadership of Oyo state.
He urged members to abide with stipulations of the NURTW constitution as it relates to changing leadership of the union.
Noting that his visit to governor’s office had been preceded with a meeting with union members in Ibadan, he urged all NURTW members to remain peaceful, particularly with new administrations taking over from May 29 in some states.
In line with the union’s constitution, Yasin said he, himself, will be stepping down as President by August when national delegates conference will be held, while state delegates conference holds in October.
“We have called on our members to ensure that the peace that has been established during the Ajimobi tenure should continue with the incoming administration. We have forgotten the era of using cutlasses, guns to take over motor parks and we shouldn’t allow such things to happen again.
“In August, we are having delegate conference where I will step down and another leadership will come in. By October, we are having state delegate conferences across the 36 states. If because of the change of government in Oyo state, some people are going around that by May 29, they are going to take over. I say they are not taking over our union.
“Our union has a constitution and there are ways of changing leadership. The era of thuggery abolished during your (Ajimobi) time won’t be allowed to return. And anybody who tries such in the state should count himself as not being our member and the law should take its course,” Yasin said.
Yasin thanked Ajimobi for seeing to the sustenance of peace in the NURTW, noting that the union was refined and had gone past the era of taking to guns to effect a change in the leadership of the union.
In his remarks, Ajimobi praised the Yasin led NURTW for greatly contributing to the peace in the union and Oyo state, at large.
He urged NURTW members to abide by constitutional stipulations of their union as regards elections and shun violence in changing their leadership.
Ajimobi bemoaned failure to abide by laws as a bane of societal order and peace.
Noting his efforts to ensure a peaceful Oyo state over the course of the past eight years, Ajimobi urged NURTW members to see their jobs as respectable and therefore shun resuscitating brigandage when the new government assumes office on May 29.
