Federal Government has assured the national leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) of good working relationship just as the union elected new leaders at its 10th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference which was held on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Bako Lalong, while declaring the conference open, said his ministry will work with the NURTW new leadership to take the union to the next level.
The minister who was represented by the Registrar, Trade Union, and deputy director in the ministry, Mr Amos Olasupo, urged the union members to close rank and resolve all issues affecting it.
“This is my first official interaction with you as a union in a gathering like this. Distinguished delegates, as you gather for this important 10th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference, and inauguration of new leaders, I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to all the newly elected officers and also to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated delegates. With the inauguration of the new leaders today, I look forward to a good working relationship with your union.
“It is my hope and belief that the inauguration of the new leaders today will mark a new beginning in your union. Let us continue to work together and ensure that all other issues within and outside the union are resolved. Let me reassure you that the Ministry (of Labour and Employment) will work with the new leadership to take the union to the next level,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, members and leader of the NURTW have elected new set of leaders to direct the affairs of the union for the next four years. The union has been having leadership crisis following attempts by immediate past president of the union, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, to secure second term in office.
At the event, 15 elected officers from the 5 zonal councils (South East, North Central, South South, North West and the North East) took oaths of office at the conference.
The delegate conference in South West could not be concluded due to the fact that as at 5th of October, 2023 when delegate conferences were being held in other zones, only two state councils were fully in NURTW in South West, hence the conference was postponed till further notice. As is with other zones with three positions each, the posts of president, vice president and national trustee were zoned to the South West.
Speaking at the event, the chairman of the union’s caretaker committee, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, described the last four years of the erstwhile president Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa as terrible for the union because of its high-handedness.
Agbede said that his committee was able to restore sanity to the union by lifting suspension placed on members and state councils by the former president. He also explained that his committee was able to settle backlog of salary and allowances of staff owed by the immediate past president.
“The last four years of Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa as president of the union was a total waste in the history of the union. Throughout his four-year tenure, our union was always in the news for bad reasons. And up till now, we are still battling with the problems he created for the union, especially in South West.
“When my Committee was inaugurated on August 28, 2023, all the six states in South West, except Ekiti State had left the union to join the state government-owned Parks and Garages Management Committee in their respective states. But through the intervention of our committee and support from leaders and elders of our union, some of these states are back in our union. Lagos and Ogun States are with us now. Ondo will soon join us and efforts are on to get Oyo and Osun States back.
“And because of the problems, the union was unable to conduct delegate conference in the zone, hence we are not yet represented at the national level. But with the effort and determination we have put in place, the crisis in the zone will soon come to an end.”
Speaking at occasion, former president of the union, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, urged the newly inaugurated officers to be up and doing, hit the ground and reposition the union in the interest of members.
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