NURTW President Tajudeen Baruwa Reinstated by Court, Agbede-led Committee Ousted

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has ruled in favor of Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, reinstating him as the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) for a second term.

The court’s decision effectively resolves the leadership deadlock within the NURTW and invalidates the authority of the Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede-led caretaker committee.

Presiding Judge, Justice O.O. Oyewumi, affirmed the legitimacy of the Zonal Delegates Conference, where Baruwa was re-elected on May 24, 2023.

Additionally, the court officially recognized the Quadrennial National Delegate Conference held on August 23, 2023, as the valid assembly for inaugurating national officers.

The ruling also brought an end to the tenure of the former President, Comrade Najeem Usman Yasin’s involvement in the day-to-day affairs of the union, although he was affirmed to retain his role as chairman of the board.

In a dramatic twist, the court declared the national delegates conference held on October 25, 2023, which purportedly elected Alhaji Isa Ore and his council, as ‘illegal, null and void, and unconstitutional.’

The court clarified that there was no evidence to suggest any crisis that would warrant the invocation of the ‘doctrine of necessity,’ which led to the formation of a caretaker committee.

The NURTW has recently faced tumultuous times, with the Lagos State Park Management Committee, headed by Musiliu Akinsanya, alias MC Oluomo, forcefully seizing the union’s secretariat in Garki II despite the presence of armed security personnel.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) stepped in, giving a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian Police to withdraw from the secretariat or risk a nationwide strike.

The NLC accused the Nigeria Police Force of overstepping its bounds, asserting that the police had ‘assumed the role of arbitrator in disputes, in direct contravention of the laws governing industrial relations.’

The NLC also criticized the Inspector General of Police for allegedly facilitating the takeover of the NURTW national secretariat and attempting to unseat the elected leadership in favor of a ‘puppet’.