As the leadership crisis in the Osun State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) continues to escalate, a former state officer of the union, Mr. Ayowole Micheal Faniyan, has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to take over the control of the union in the country.
Mr. Faniyan, who is popularly known as Aluwaye also said the NLC, upon taking control of the affairs of the union, should also set up a statutory electoral body which will be conducting a free, fair, credible and violence-free elections whenever the tenure of any NURTW leadership expires in this country.
Faniyan, who was the chairman of the NURTW in Ilesa West and East local governments of the state, said this was the only way to curb the leadership violence which is bedevilling the NURTW in Nigeria.
He said: ‘When I was the chairman of NURTW in Osun before I stepped aside in 2007, the situation wasn’t like this. We used to conduct a free and fair elections to pick our leaders and this used to be in a very peaceful manner. At the end of the election, whoever emerges as the winner will embrace the loser while they will all celebrate the electoral victory together with the others. But nowadays, the politicians have taken over and they are now using them as political thugs.’
He commended a past national treasurer of the union, Alhaji NashiruKomolafe; a former National Secretary, Alhaji Moshood Ajao; Alhaji Azeez Aruna Bundle Owo, Mr. Joseph Awoniyi and Baba Suuru among others, whom he said did well during their time to ensure that the members’ welfare and passengers’ safety on the road.
FaniyanAluwaye called on the NURTW leadership and members across Nigeria not to allow the politicians to turn them to political instruments to win elections but work for how the glory of the union would be restored.
According to him, a situation where members use guns and cutlasses to take over the leadership of garages instead of an organised, peaceful election portended danger for life and property of not just passengers but also members of the union.