Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, of the Lagos State Parks and Garages, LASPG, directed members to return to the banned National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in the state.
Recall that about a year and a half ago, the state government banned the activities of NURTW in Lagos.
MC Oluomo, led Lagos commercial transport operators to re-join the union, and teamed up with their colleagues in other states operating under the NURTW umbrella.
He, has indicated readiness to ensure everyone leave LASPG, setup by Sanwo-Olu, after NURTW was banned from operating from parks and garages across the state.
Beside, MC Oluomo has instructed the LASPG former members to put on their NURTW uniforms to signal their return to former transport union in the state.
Meanwhile, the latest move was reached on Thursday during the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting which was held in Agege Local Government and chaired by MC Oluomo.
At the meeting, MC Oluomo and the LASPG former members were seen wearing the NURTW uniform as well as promising to work for the transport union’s growth.
According to a transport operator present at the meeting, SEC members complied with directives earlier received from MC Oluomo, as they wore the old NURTW uniform.
“This (SEC) Monthly Meeting must be strictly attended by all three principal officers, while coming you are to come along with four officers, under each Branch/Zone and you all must be well dressed in your complete NURTW Uniform outfit, while your punctuality will be strictly registered as you attend,” a message sent to members read.
Confirming the new development, the Acting General Secretary for the Agbede faction, Kayode Agbeyangi, said that the meeting was an avenue to bring him back into the union fold and restore peace among transport operators.
A letter to that effect read: “Sequel to our letter dated march 12 2022, Ref No. NURTW/NHQA.20/VOL/18/ 86 captioned “Notice of suspension of Musiliu Akinsanya from office as the Lagos State Chairman of National Union Of Road Transport Workers.
“I am directed to notify you that your suspension from office as the Lagos state chairman of our great union is hereby lifted with effect from today 1st of September, 2023.
“The above decision was taken during an emergency Central Working Committee meeting (CWC) of the union dated 31st August, 2023 at the NURTW National Secretariat office complex, plot 1236 Sapele street Garki II, Abuja.”
At the meeting, one of the operators, who spoke under anonymity, said hat MC Oluomo informed the gathering that he had gotten the governor’s approval on the decision.
The source added that the ex-LASPG chairman stressed during the meeting that Sanwo-Olu had given him approval to return to NURTW and carry along other operators in the state’s parks and garages.
Another source disclosed that their fear over the move was the unrest that could occur within Lagos chapter of the transport union and the effect it would have on lives and property across the state.
He explained that MC Oluomo’s decision to carry him and other ex-LASPG members along in his return to NURTW was basically to fulfill promises made to the former national vice president (Southwest), Tajudeen Agbede, that he would support his ambition and assist him in edging out the National president, NURTW, Tajudeen Baruwa, as well as takeover the transport national secretariat in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
While promising Agbade, he was said to have assured that the LASPG members would be made to pull out and join NURTW as if they had realized their mistakes and supported Agbede, who claimed to be the authentic president for the union in the supremacy battle.
It was gathered that this formed one of the main reasons the Agbede faction lifted the indefinite suspension imposed on him by the Baruwa-led executives.
Aside from Lagos, it was learnt that there were plans to get the entire Southwest members into the Agbede’s faction to fight Baruwa, who rose to the position through the region; and the job was to be done by MC Oluomo.
First among the states is Oyo where some members of the state park management were being lobbied to pull out from the formation setup by Governor Seyi Makinde, and return to NURTW, in order to increase Agbede faction’s membership base.
The strategy was said to have been adopted after unsuccessful attempts to ensure that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, seals the NURTW national headquarters in Abuja indefinitely.
It was gathered that MC Oluomo, as part of the plan had assembled the park and garage members, and financed their transportation to Abuja, in order to protest against Baruwa-led action at the NURTW headquarters.
Some of the members lamented that they were brought in as NURTW members by MC Oluomo, even when they were yet to be officially accepted into the union.
Meanwhile, effort to reach the Permanent Secretary, PS, Ministry of Transportation, Engr Abdulafiz Toriola for a reaction on the development, was unsuccessful at press time.
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