Court docket affirms Baruwa NURTW president, declares Agbede

A National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja on Monday affirmed Tajudeen Baruwa as the re-elected president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.

This was just as the court sacked the Tajudeen Agbede-led Caretaker Committee of the NURTW.

While delivering her judgment on the leadership crisis rocking the union, Justice O. O. Oyewumi held that the delegates’ conference across the six zonal councils held on May 24, 2023, where Baruwa emerged as President for a second term in office was valid.

The presiding judge also restrained the former President of the Union, Najeem Yasin, who was the Board of Trustees chairman, from interfering in the day-to-day running of union affairs.

She held that Najeem could only act as chairman of the board.

The court also validated the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held on August 23, 2023, at Ta’al Hotels in Lafia, Nasarawa State where the president and other national officers were inaugurated.

Oyewumi declared illegal, null, and unconstitutional the national delegates’ conference held on October 25, 2023, where the current Acting President, Isa Ore, and his National Administrative Council were said to have emerged.

According to the judge, there was no evidence of a crisis in the union.

Consequently, she held that there was no basis for the invocation of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ that led to the constitution of the caretaker committee.

“The National Delegates conference held on October 25, 2024 cannot stand and therefore declare null and void.

“Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin is also restrained from interfering in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the union. Though he can act as Chairman of the board of trustees of the union,” the judge ruled.

Recall that the Lagos State Park Management Committee led by Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has, on August 28, 2023, forcefully taken over the secretariat of the union located at Garki 2 despite the presence of armed security agents deployed to provide security.

Baruwa was later arrested on September 13, 2023, alongside four other national officers of the union by the police and detained at the former facility of the Special Anti Robbery Squad in Abuja

The situation compelled the Nigeria Labour Congress to give the issue the police 48 hours to vacate the secretariat of the union or be prepared to face stiff resistance.

In a communiqué signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union threatened it would muster all its affiliates for a showdown in support.

The unionists also accused the Nigeria Police of interfering in the internal affairs of NURTW and attempting to usurp powers of arbitration in disputes, contrary to the dictates of statutes governing industrial relations.

The NLC had affirmed the legality of the Baruwa-led leadership, warning that any move to upturn the governance of the transport union could lead to violence.