Labour Minister Suspends Oluomo, Baruwa’s NURTW Factions

The ongoing leadership crisis in the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has prompted the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong.

The minister has ordered the suspension of all activities by the warring factions of the union until the dispute is resolved peacefully.

The minister’s decision was conveyed in a letter signed by Emmanuel Igbinosun, the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, on behalf of the minister.

The letter was addressed to the National President of the union, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, and copied to the other faction led by Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede. The letter is titled, ‘Leadership Of The National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW) And Industrial Coup D’état By The Former President Of The Union, Alh Najeem Usman Yasin And His Rampaging Illegal Militia-A Clarion Call For Intervention.’

The letter stated that the minister had apprehended the dispute in line with the power conferred on him by Section 5 of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8 Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004. It also directed the suspension of all activities related to the election of new executives and the day-to-day operations of the union. It added that further directives would be communicated to both parties on or before Friday 13th October 2023.

The leadership crisis in the NURTW escalated recently when a faction of the union from Lagos State, led by Agbede, stormed the National Secretariat of the union in Garki 2, Abuja, and dislodged Baruwa and his loyalists. Agbede is backed by Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, who was formerly leading the disbanded Lagos Park Management Committee. MC Oluomo is an ally of President Bola Tinubu.

Baruwa and three other national officers of the union were detained in Abuja by the police over the leadership crisis. They were invited to a meeting by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, which was also attended by Agbede’s faction.

The NURTW is one of the largest and most influential trade unions in Nigeria, with millions of members across the country. The union is responsible for regulating and coordinating road transport activities and welfare of its members. The leadership crisis has raised concerns over the potential disruption of transport services and security threats in some states.

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