By Adeyinka Adeniran
A new crisis may be erupting in the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) as the National President, Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa, has kicked against the inauguration of Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oloumo as the new President of the union.
Baruwa, in a statement by his lawyer, Mr Tolu Babaleye, said the inauguration of MC Oluomo as the National President of NURTW was without recourse to the judgment of both the National Industrial Court and Appeal Court that affirmed Baruwa as the leader of the transport union.
Also, Baruwa, through his lawyer, said the inauguration of MC Oluomo as a factional President of NURTW was without recourse to the constitution of the union that guarantees the tenure of the offices of the leadership.
He said, “From all indications, it appears that a faction sat and decided on its own, having no recourse to the constitution of the union, or to the decision and judgments of the courts and decided to select an individual at random as the President of the Union.”
Babaleye said Baruwa was sworn in as the President of NURTW in accordance with the constitution of the union in August 2023 for 4 years and a faction of the union led by a former President, Alh. Najeem Usman Yasin, dissatisfied with the results of the election of the union, decided to formulate a caretaker committee to run the Union.
According to him, Baruwa, being a law-abiding citizen, rather than resort to violence, chose to go to court to reaffirm the validity and legality of his Presidency and condemned the illegal committee formed by the faction.
He said a suit was instituted at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and judgment was delivered in Baruwa”s favour on the 11th of March 2024 by Hon. Justice O.O. Oyewumi, dissolving the illegal Caretaker Committee and restraint Yasin faction..
Being displeased with the judgment of the court, he said an appeal was entered at the Court of Appeal Abuja by the faction led by Yasin where he sought to overturn the decision of the trial court.
However, he said the Court of Appeal, on November 8, 2024, dismissed the appeal of Yasin and affirmed the judgment of the National Industrial Court, barring Yasin and anyone claiming through him like MC Oluomo from interfering in the day-to-day running of the union as led by Baruwa.
Despite the court judgment, he said “To our utmost surprise however, even before this decision of the honourable court could be celebrated by the victorious party, the news of the inauguration of MC Oluomo as the National President of the Union was announced in flagrant disobedience and disregard of the decision of the court despite being aware that the tenure of Comrade Baruwa Tajudeen Ibikunle is still subsisting and running as confirmed by the judgments of the National Industrial Court and Court of Appeal concurring.
“We therefore unequivocally state that Musiliu Ayinde Akinsanya Aka Mc Oluomo is not and cannot be the National President of the Union, and therefore urge that all news stations or platforms parading him as such be disregarded in its entirety.
“We further state that the only legally recognized National President of the Union is Comrade Tajudeen Baruwa Ibikunle, and this position has been confirmed by the court. The Attorney General of the Federation should not standby and allow the judiciary to be rubbished this way.”
