I Am The Legal NURTW Chairman In Oyo State   

The de facto Chairman of the Oyo State National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, ALHAJI LATEEF AKINSOLA, a.k.a. Tokyo, spoke with GBENRO ADESINA on the crisis rocking the union in the state

•Tokyo.

Could you enlighten the public about the current state of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW in Oyo State?
Sometime ago, I was illegally removed from office as Chairman of NURTW in Oyo State. My removal was done by my junior, Lateef Salako, popularly called Eleweomo and the Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala. They achieved this in a mischievous and satanic manner. I don’t know what happened in Eleweomo’s house that led to the death of his security men. Then, Eleweomo alleged that I was the one that killed his security men. Because of this, I was arrested and charged to court, despite the fact that the investigation of the police showed that I did not know anything about the killings.
The third day that I was arrested, Eleweomo, moved into my office as chairman of the union. When I regained my freedom, I went to court to challenge my removal from the office and sought that I be restored. On 27 July 2010, the court ruled in my favour that I should resume at my office. A copy of the judgment was sent to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ogbonna Onovo who directed us to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Adisa Baba Bolanta. But the CP is not sincere. Despite the fact that I got declarative judgment from a court that has sole right to entertain labour matters, he has not taken any step to restore me to my office.
I have decided to stay calm because I don’t want chaos and violence in the state. If there is any problem in the state, it is my deputy that should take over, not Eleweomo who was number five to me. But he was able to take over because of the backing of the state government. They want to use him for 2011 election, forgetting that it is God that appoints and dismisses leaders.

Are you saying that the national body of your association was wrong in swearing-in Eleweomo to succeed you?
The national body was wrong because they did not follow our constitution. Article 17 of our constitution is against what they did. The process is that if for any reason the chairman cannot stay in office, the deputy takes over and immediately the chairman comes back, the deputy hands over to him. In other words, when I came back from prison, my office should have been handed back to me. The position of the CP in this matter is sad. I am now appealing to the IGP in the interest of peace to use his good offices to implement the judgment of industrial court that ordered that I should be restored to office. To do any other thing will is illegal.

Do you need police assistance to get back to office?
Yes, because I don’t want violence and Eleweomo and his cohorts don’t mind resorting to violence.

What offence did you commit that led to your removal from the office?
I didn’t commit any offence. My removal was political. Akala wanted me out of office at all costs, but I don’t have anything against him.

What was your experience in the prison custody?
Bad. I was not fed properly. I could not sleep because where they put me, there were millions of mosquitoes that would not allow me to sleep. While the problem lasted, Eleweomo’s faction was threatening us and did not allow us to move freely in the city. They did not allow our vehicles to work. Over 500 of our vehicles had to be parked.

Ahead of the 2011 election, it seems your members are poised to be used as political thugs. What is your comment on this?
It will not happen. Any of my members that turned himself to political thug during the forthcoming election would be shown the way out. I assure the police that I would maintain peace at the forthcoming elections. I must say that it is very sad that Eleweomo betrayed me. My tenure ends in August next year.