NURTW chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim, speaks out on attack at national secretariat

In an urgent press briefing, the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) FCT Chapter, Alhaji Ibrahim, has addressed the unfortunate incident that occurred on Monday, August 28, 2023, when a group claiming to be the Park Management Committee from Lagos, Ogun, and Osun allegedly mobilized thugs and hoodlums to attack the NURTW National Secretariat in Garki 2, Abuja.

Recall that Freelanews earlier reported that the secretariat was allegedly broken into by the factional president of the union, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, and his loyalists.

Alhaji Ibrahim stressed the need to halt the illegal activities taking place within the union, which is allegedly being influenced by high-ranking government officials who utilize security agents to support these dissident elements.

While emphasising the importance of clarifying and setting the records straight, Alhaji Ibrahim stated that in the amended 2018 Constitution of the Union, all elected officers hold a four-year tenure, subject to re-election for another four years.

Additionally, the Constitution states that 18 National Administrative Council (NAC) Officers must be equally zoned among the six zonal councils of the Union to ensure fair play and justice.

Furthermore, Alhaji Ibrahim explained that Article 9, sections 14, 15, and 16 of the Union’s Constitution provide for the holding of a Special Zonal Delegates Conference for the nomination and election of National Officers, known as the National Administrative Council (NAC), three months before the National Delegates Conference, which occurs every four years in August.

He revealed that the last Special Zonal Delegates Conference was held on May 15th, 2019, followed by the National Delegates Conference on August 29th, 2019, where the current National Administrative Council (NAC) members were nominated, elected, and subsequently sworn in at the NAF Conference Center in Abuja.

The current administration, led by Alhaji Prof. Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa, celebrated four years in office on August 23rd, 2023.

On May 24th, 2023, another Special Zonal Delegates Conference was held in all six Zonal Councils, resulting in three NAC members being nominated and elected to represent each zone at the national level.

These members were subsequently sworn in during the 10th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference at TA’AL Conference Hotel in Lafia, Nasarawa State, on August 23rd, 2023.

However, Alhaji Ibrahim highlighted that certain aggrieved members intentionally refused to attend the Kano meeting where the Special Zonal Delegates Conference was approved by the National Executive Council (NEC).

The situation further escalated on August 11th, 2023, when the President of the Union, Alhaji Prof. Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa, was invited to the Police Headquarters in Abuja.

Read full text below.

BEING THE TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE CHAIRMAN NURTW FCT CHAPTER, ALHAJI IBRAHIM ON TUESDAY AUGUST 29TH  2023 IN ABUJA

We want to welcome you to this press briefing.

This  briefing is about the unfortunate incident that happened in the early hour of Monday August 28th at about 7:00am when a group of people who claimed to be Park Management Committee from Lagos, Ogun and Osun mobilized thugs and hoodlums to attack our National Secretariat located at Garki 2 Abuja and inflicted injuries on our members while the police and operatives of Department of State Services ( DSS  ) looked other way.

There is need to stop the illegality that is going on in our union which is being influenced by some top government officials using security agents to back these disgruntled elements who have renounced their membership from the Union.

Gentlemen of the Press, it is imperative to clarify and put the record straight.

The Constitution of our Union as amended in 2018 provides for a four year tenure for all the elected officers at all organs of the Union subject to re-election for another tenure of four years.

It also  made provision for the election of 18 National Administrative Council (NAC) Officer which shall be equally zoned among the six zonal Councils of the Union for the purpose of fair play and justice.

Furthermore, the Union’s Constitution also provides in Article 9 section 14, 15 and 16 respectively for holding of Special Zonal Delegates Conference for the nomination and election of the National Officers of the Union otherwise known as the National Administrative Council (NAC), members three months before the National Delegates Conference which normally holds once in four years in the month of August as enshrined in the Constitution of the Union.

It’s important to further intimate you that the last Special Zonal Delegates Conference of the Union was concurrently held on the 15th of May, 2019 while the National Delegates Conference of the Union took place on the 29th August 2019 in conformity with the Constitution of the Union respectively where the current National Officers otherwise known as National Administrative Council (NAC) members were nominated and elected and subsequently sworn in at NAF Conference Center, Abuja.

The present administration under the leadership of Alh. Prof. Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa has clocked four years in office this August  23rd 2023.

The Special Zonal Delegates Conference was held  on the 24th May, 2023 in all the six Zonal Councils of the Union where three NAC members per Zone were nominated and elected to represent their respective Zones at the National level and were sworn in during the 10th Quadrennial National  Delegates Conference held at TA’AL Conference Hotel Lafia Nasarawa State on Wednesday August 23, 2023.

Before the inauguration of  the National Administrative Council  ( NAC  ) members in Lafia Nasarawa State the National Delegates Conference of the Union was fixed for 12th August, 2023 at the Hall C, T.Y Buratai Block Nigeria Army Resource Center, Abuja, where one of the major agenda was to formally swear in the newly elected NAC members who emerged during the May, 24th, 2023 Special Zonal Delegates Conference of the Union that took place simultaneously at the six Zonal Councils of the Union.

It is important to state here that the aggrieved members deliberately refused to attend the Kano meeting where the Special Zonal Delegates Conference was approved by the  National Executive Council (NEC).

However, we were taken aback on the eve of the National Delegates Conference been Friday the 11th August, 2023, at about 4pm to 5pm, the President of the Union Alh. Prof, Ibikunle Tajudeen Baruwa was invited by the Police to the Police Headquarters, Abuja, where he was accompanied by the Acting General Secretary Comr. A.C. Asogwa JP, Comr. Olaye Odion National Trustee and the Principal Asst. Secretary Comr. Jibrin Abdulrazaq Yemi where they were detained till the following day the 12th August 2023, for undisclosed offence(s) and released at about 1: 00pm with directives to report back the same day where they were again detained and finally released at about midnight .

As if that was not enough, on Saturday the 12th August, 2023, over seven Hilux full of armed policemen stormed the National Secretariat of the Union and sealed it off as well as chased away all the delegates and staff of the Union claiming that they were acting on orders from above based on the alleged petition writing against the

Meanwhile  some aggrieved members of the Union from Lagos State led by Alh. Tajudeen Agbede Badru and former President of the Union, Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin led a group thugs with the support of Lagos State Chairman of Parks and Management, Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya ( MC Oluomo ) attacked the National Secretariat and injured many of our staff.

It is worrisome to know  that the Nigerian Police, Operatives of Department of State Services ( DSS ) and Nigerian Army were deployed to provide cover for these intruders who operated freely under the watch of armed security agents.

They attacked and chased away all the National officers including National President while the police watch them.

We appeal to our members across the states to remain calm but be on standby.

We hereby use this medium to call President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to intervene as a matter of urgency and necessary to avoid any breakdown of law and order in the Federal Capital Territory  ( FCT  ) . The President should also all the Nigerian police and DSS to order and stop giving unnecessary backing to the disgruntled element who are out to cause confusion.

Thank you.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.