Sanwo-Olu to protesting NURTW: I’ll act on grievances

Lagos State Govenor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday told protesting members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Lagos State Council that he would attend to their grievances.

Leaders and some members of all branches of the NURTW in Lagos State stormed Marina, Lagos House as early as 6:30am to protest the interference of the union’s National body in the Lagos Council affairs.

The union members, who were received by the governor passed vote of confidence in the leadership of Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo).

Sanwo-Olu hailed the union members for not taking laws into their hands.

He said: “I have received all your messages and it will be given due consideration. As you come here peaceful, I urged you to go back to your various destinations peacefully. It is paramount as government to address to the issues with urgency they deserve.”

In a letter submitted to the governor by a team led by the State Treasurer Alhajl Mustapha Adekunle (aka Sego), the union members described the recent query issued to Akinsanya as unfair.

They urged the National President of the union Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa to allow Akinsanya-led executive run their Lagos State Council affair without “meddlesomeness.”

According to them, the interference in the management of the state tricycle operations is not within the powers of the President (Baruwa) “as it is strictly within the internal competence of the State Executive Council

“The power to create, recreate, cancel, merge branches, units, zones is exclusively granted under Article 17[2] iv to the State Executive Council of each state and Lagos State is not an exception. The current zonal arrangement of the tricycle and motorcycle operations of the union which has assured peace is indeed commendable and should not be jettisoned.”

The branches’ chief accused TOOAN Zone C Chairman Alhaji Azeez Abiola of trying to the NURTW State chairman without going through election.

“The only known method of removing an elected State Executive member is by impeachment and we, therefore, frown at the query issued to our Chairman (Akinsanya) in the performance of his duties by the National President, Alhaji Baruwa, who did not appoint him. As an elected Chairman, the tenure of Alhaji Akinsanya for four years in the first instance is sacrosanct

“We hereby pass a vote of confidence in Alhaji Akinsanya and seriously warn that this state shall not allow anyone for political considerations to tamper with her peace as is presently the situation in midst of the NURTW State Councils in Southwest,” they said.