Amid the leadership crisis rocking the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Tajudeen Baruwa has assumed control of the unionâs national secretariat in Abuja, dislodging Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo.
The development followed a series of court rulings that affirmed Baruwa as the unionâs legitimate president.
Speaking to journalists at the secretariat after the takeover, Baruwa, flanked by supporters from across the country, said his actions were backed by two court judgments delivered in his favour and described the move as a peaceful, lawful exercise in compliance with judicial orders rather than a forceful seizure.
âToday, as you can see, we are taking over in a peaceful manner, and it is not a forceful takeover but just carrying out the courtâs orders,â he said.
Baruwa disclosed that the union had formally notified the Nigeria Police Force of its intention to reclaim the secretariat, attaching copies of the court judgments to facilitate the process.
However, he said the response from the police was discouraging, prompting the union to issue a fresh notice before proceeding with Mondayâs takeover.
âTheir body language has not been encouraging despite repeated assurance that we are not going back to foment any trouble as we are a law-abiding union whose only mission is to get back what belonged to them,â he said.
He further noted that the union had waited patiently for two years after obtaining the judgments before resorting to physical occupation of the secretariat.
âOur coming here after two years is to occupy our office, having obtained judgments at both the lower court and the Appeal Court, but they refused to obey court orders after waiting for about two years. We decided to resume back at the office today without causing any violence, and here we are,â Baruwa stated, adding that one of their members was attacked by the opposing faction and hospitalised, though the situation remained under control.
âWe are still open to reconciliation as we are a lawful organisation and not a troublemaker. No one is above the law,â he said.
General Secretary Suleiman Musa corroborated Baruwaâs account, saying those occupying the premises unlawfully had remained defiant despite several appeals to vacate.
âWe have notified the police that, on the order of the court, we are coming back to our office today, and we are glad that journalists are here to witness it so that the world will know what is going on here,â Musa stated.
The takeover is backed by two significant judicial pronouncements. The National Industrial Court, in suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023 delivered by Justice O.O. Oyewumi, affirmed Baruwa as the duly elected president of the union.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja subsequently upheld that decision in a judgment delivered on November 8, 2024, in appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/293/2024, dismissing the appeal filed by loyalists of MC Oluomoâââincluding Najeem Usman Yasin, Tajudeen Agbede, and othersâââas lacking merit, and awarding N100,000 in costs against the appellants.
The three-member appellate panel, comprising Justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, upheld the industrial courtâs earlier judgment of March 11, 2024, which had first recognised Baruwaâs presidency, bringing a measure of judicial finality to a dispute that has paralysed the unionâs national leadership for years.
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