‘You’re taking sides’ — NURTW asks NLC to stop interfering in its crisis

Kayode Agbeyangi, acting general secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), says the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) should stop interfering in the association’s crisis.

According to NAN, Agbeyangi spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the union’s national executive council (NEC) meeting.

The NURTW has been embroiled in a leadership crisis after an election conducted to fill positions of national officers.

Tajudeen Baruwa and Basiru Agbede, factional leaders of the NURTW, have claimed to be the national presidents of the union.

In August, members loyal to the two leaders clashed at the union’s headquarters in the Garki area of Abuja.

Speaking on the involvement of the NLC in the crisis, Agbeyangi said the violent clash at the NURTW national secretariat was a result of the labour body’s  “selfish interests”.

“The NLC took a one-sided decision that further threatened our effort to unite all interests and move the union forward,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“It is very sad and unfortunate that the umbrella body of workers that is expected to protect the welfare and rights of all workers has turned itself into a tool used for an outbreak of violence and favouritism.

“Also, the flagrant abuse of constitutional provisions of the union by attempting to impose the erstwhile President Alh. Tajudeen Baruwa of the union whose tenure expired on August 28.”

The acting general secretary said Joe Ajaero, president of NLC, should not support or institute illegality by supporting Baruwa.

“What is expected of the congress at this time is to support without rancour, the ongoing process of organising a statutory National Delegates’ Conference of the NURTW as stipulated by the union constitution,” he said.

Agbeyangi also said the NLC and other relevant agencies have been duly intimated through official correspondences about the various resolutions taken at various organs of the union.

In a reaction, the NLC president said he would not join issues with “unknown” people.

“We have alerted the whole world that our leadership in NURTW has been cloned,” Ajaero said.

“The cloned leadership is also threatening to attack the leadership of NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC).”