Tajudeen Baruwa, the newly appointed president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), stormed the union's secretariat in Abuja on Monday, effectively ousting Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, from his position.
The takeover, which was met with a mix of reactions from the public and security authorities, was said to be peaceful and in line with the law. According to Baruwa, the union had notified the Nigeria Police Force about the takeover, attaching copies of court judgments that affirm his position as the legitimate president of the union.
Baruwa claimed that the union had waited for about two years for the opposing faction to comply with court orders, but to no avail. He alleged that members of the opposing faction attacked one of his supporters during the takeover, although the situation remained under control.
The union's General Secretary, Suleiman Musa, supported Baruwa's move, stating that repeated appeals to the opposing faction to vacate the secretariat had failed.
The development follows a series of court decisions, including rulings by the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal, which affirmed Baruwa as the duly elected president of the union and restrained interference with his leadership.
The brazen takeover of the NURTW secretariat by Tajudeen Baruwa highlights the deep-seated leadership crisis plaguing the union. The fact that Baruwa was able to assume control with the backing of court judgments underscores the failure of the opposing faction to respect the rule of law. For the thousands of transport workers and their families affected by this crisis, the outcome of this power struggle will have far-reaching consequences for their livelihoods and well-being. With the union's leadership in limbo, it remains to be seen how this will impact the daily operations of the transport sector. The Nigerian government must now take a firm stance on this matter to prevent further instability in the industry.
