By Dayo Johnson

AKURE—Ondo State government and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, weekend, traded tackles over the setting up of a park management committee, following the crisis within the union in the state.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu recently suspended the activities of the union, following its leadership tussle.

But the union members, however, accused the governor of planning to impose the immediate past chairman of the union, Jacob Adebo, for a second term.

They, therefore, threatened to withdraw their support for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the next general elections, if the state government proscribes the union to impose Adebo on them.

However, in a statement by the Deputy Governor’s Press Secretary, Mr Kenneth Stevenson said the government decided to intervene by setting up the motor park management committee to manage and administer all the public motor parks in the state.

The statement reads: “The government noted the unfortunate unending crisis and litigation involving the Union in Court which has adversely affected activities in the Public Motor Parks in the state.

“The Government, therefore, has decided to take over all the Public Motor Parks in the State and set up a Committee to administer same.

“The Union’s activities in Public Parks in the State are, accordingly, suspended.”

We don’t want imposition —NURTW

Meanwhile, the union members, while protesting the alleged plan by the state government to impose the immediate past chairman of the union, for a second term, urged the state government to allow the Constitution of the union which prescribed election to take its full course.

Speaking on behalf of the Union, Mr Gbenga Ijalade, said: “They have been threatening us that if we do not allow them to impose Jacob Adebo on us, they will proscribe our union.

“Adebo has one vote among over 5000 drivers in our state. The majority decides, but they want  imposition. We will adhere strictly to the court judgement. We have resolved not to withdraw the case from the court.”