By Theodore Opara

The new leadership of the National Union Of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has accused the Nigeria Labour (NLC) of being biased and partial in its involvement in the crisis rocking the Union, warning that the NLC as umbrella body of all trade Union organizations in the country could lose its credibility.

The NURTW stated this while reacting to communiqué issued by the NLC, accusing the Police of invasion of union secretariat.

The statement, signed by the Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede and Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, noted that the NURTW was highly disappointed by actions and utterances of the NLC since the beginning of the crisis.

The NURTW leaders lamented that the NLC leadership threw all caution to the winds while throwing their weight behind Baruwa a party in the crisis.

The NURTW expressed surprise at the new love between Baruwa and the leadership of NLC, bearing in mind that NURTW under Baruwa did not participate in any NLC activities.

They said: “It is on record that in the first three years of his tenure, NURTW neglected NLC activities. In fact, he started romancing them (NLC) now when it dawned on him that he would be hiring their service in his struggle for his unjust cause.”

The statement explained that at the initial stage of the crisis, series of letters were written to the leadership of the NLC to intimate them about the atrocities of Baruwa, but the NLC turned deaf ears and did not act on the letters.

“On three different occasions, the NLC invited our members from Lagos state council for meeting to settle the rift between Baruwa and Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya( MC Oluomo).

“While Oluomo and his executives travelled all the way from Lagos to Abuja to honour the NLC invitation, Baruwa who resides in Abuja did not turned up for the meeting on those three occasions and the NLC did not sanction him for insubordination.

“In fact, he ended up slamming a suspension order on MC Oluomo. He was eventually forced out of NURTW to join the Lagos state government owned Parks and Garages.”

The NURTW said that it was sad that the NLC that did not act on series of letters of complaints sent to them by NURTW members and other stakeholders is now the one defending Baruwa.

The NURTW explained that the new leaders were inaugurated after the expiration of the four years tenure of Baruwa in accordance with the provision of the union constitution.

“Our new leaders were inaugurated in line with our constitution and we would like to appeal to NLC not allow itself to be used by Comrade Baruwa to undermine our union’s constitution.”

On the presence of the Police at the union secretariat, the statement explained that “we as a law-abiding organisation requested for Police protection and it was granted.

“It is the duty of Police to maintain law and order and that is exactly what they are doing. NLC should commend the Police for being proactive, and not to vilify them,” the union said.

The NURTW said the name of President Bola Tinubu should not be dragged into the crisis, stating that the crisis has been on since 2019 shortly after the Baruwa inauguration and that the members only endured him for four years and that President Tinubu has nothing to do with the crisis and should not be blackmailed.