The leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers on Tuesday appealed to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to rescind decision to appoint park managers to manage motor parks in the state.
Should the government fail to reverse its decision within seven days, the Union threatened to embark on strike.
The NURTW urged Governor Makinde to also, within the period, allow Union activities in the state to save members and their families from starvation.
Addressing newsmen at the Zonal Council Secretariat of the NURTW in Osogbo, the Caretaker Chairman of the Union in Oyo State, Kayode Agbeyangi, accused Makinde of acting the script of some of its former members to truncate Union activities and block their means of livelihood.
Agbeyangi, who was flanked by the Chairman, Lagos State NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, alleged that the administration of Governor Makinde since inception had been championing the cause of Mukaila Lamidi, also known as ‘Auxiliary,’ whom he said had been expelled from the Union.
According to him, Lamidi had also continued to boast that because he was instrumental to the emergence of Makinde as governor, the running of the Union in the state would be handed over to him by the government.
He also accused Makinde and Lamidi of plans to arrest NURTW leaders in Oyo on trump up charges, urging the governor to stop undue interference in the affairs of the union.
He said, “the union as a body of members is committed to peace and progress and has engaged in consultation and reconciliation of the perceived factions and stakeholders within the Union in Oyo state with a view to assuring the governor of the Union’s readiness to support his administration in sustaining the prevailing peace.
“But instead of reciprocating the gesture, the governor has been dancing to the tunes of one expelled member to split the union. The caretaker committee sent to Oyo state carried out its assignment in tandem with the government of Oyo state as represented by the state commissioner for transport (Prof. Afonja) who was been briefed on a daily basis of the committee’s assignment but to the dismay of our union, no effort was made at consulting the union before park management scheme was subsequently introduced.
“The alleged plans to appoint park managers is the height of the onslaught against members of the NURTW that are operating across motor parks in the state with members purchasing vehicles to pay by instalment from the proceeds of their operations, a system which has enjoyed the support of previous administrations in the state including those of former governors Abiola Ajimobi Adebayo Alao Akala, Rashidi Ladoja and Lam Adesina amongst others, that had supplied vehicles on loan that were paid by members on
instalmental basis.“Our union has consistently maintained and encouraged industrial harmony in every states of the federation and at no time has our union declare any industrial strike against any government whether federal or state the history of the union and effort must be geared towards averting this in the state because of the consequence resultant effect it will have on the image of the state government and the attendant stress it will bring or have on the motoring public/commuters.
“It has come to the notice of our union that the state governor in cahoots with an expelled members “Auxiliary” has been planning and making clandestine move at arresting our leaders in the state for state sponsored killings of individual thereby taking them out of circulation.
“We are using this medium to appeal to the IGP on the need to call the State Commissioner of Police (CP Shina Olukolu) to be considerate with our members on this instance.
“The Union wishes to once again appeal to His Excellency Engineer Seyi Makinde to kindly allow the activities of the Union in the State and rescind the introduction of the park management scheme within one week (Seven working days) so as to save thousands of our members and their families from hardship and starvation.
This appeal serves as an ultimatum.”
