Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

Members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), in Iree, Boripe area of Osun state have disclosed that an ex-scribe of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state is intimidating the union, seeking Governor Ademola Adeleke’s help to safe its members.

The union’s Chairman, Sunday Adeosun, on Monday, stated that its members might become jobless if the governor failed to intervene in an attempt by the party chieftain to chase them from the piece of land the union is using as its park.

According to him, the crisis started when the party chieftain, who is an indigene of Iree, said he has bought the piece of land that the commercial drivers are using as their Park from a chief, therefore, they should vacate the land.

“The union had gotten the approval to make use of the piece of land thirteen years ago via a letter made available to them by one A.O Fatoye which was dated May 19, 2011, and signed on behalf of the then Chairman of Boripe local government.

“When the party chieftain laid claim to the land around 2011/2012, saying he bought it from a chief, we vehemently resisted the attempt, which eventually led to a legal battle.

“The union won the court case at the Ikirun High Court in Suit Number: HIK/4/2012, as it even awarded N10,000 costs against Adeojo.

“To our surprise, the Chieftain in connivance with the leadership of the Iree Progressive Association (IPA) came with another claim immediately after the Supreme Court of Nigeria declared Governor Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke as the authentic winner of the 2022 Osun gubernatorial election.

“They claimed that because there was a robbery incident in Iree that affected the two commercial banks in the town in 2021, we should no longer use the place as our motor park.

“We know that Governor Adeleke will not allow injustice because some of our members are already of a considered opinion that the former PDP scribe is planning to get what the court denied him through the backdoor. We urge the governor to caution the local government officials and others who are planning to send us packing ostensibly at the instance of those interested in the piece of land, which is even a setback”

“We are law-abiding citizens, we are not partisans, we believe in the administration of Governor Adeleke and we will continually pray for the success of his administration” he said.