The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has suspended its Lagos chapter’s Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, for what it described as gross insubordination and misconduct.
The suspension order was issued via a letter dated March 9, 2022 signed by the General Secretary for the national body, Kabiru Yau, who promised to ensure that the NURTW constitution remains sacrosanct and adhered to by members across the country.
The development may be connected to a protest staged by MC Oluomo’s supporters during which they accused the union at the national level of unnecessarily interfering in the union’s affairs in the state.
Subsequently, the National body of the NURTW mandated MC Oluomo to immediately hand over the mantle of leadership to his deputy chairman and release all property belonging to the transport body in his possession to the State Secretary, in a bid to avoid any leadership vacuum in the state.
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The letter reads: “This is to convey to you that in line with Article 42 section 5, subsection I, II, III, IV, V, and VIII of the union’s constitution, you have been placed on indefinite suspension from office as State Chairman of Lagos State Council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) with effect from March 9th, 2022.
“Your suspension is sequel to sustained acts of insubordination and gross misconduct coupled with your clandestine plans to instigate crisis and unleash mayhem on any branch or branches of the union in Lagos state that refuses to obey your order or instructions not to accept directives from the national headquarters of the Union.
“Your orchestrated plan to attack branches that may disobey your orders aforesaid will ultimately endanger public peace and order in Lagos state. It is also very likely to threaten and/or affect the lives and property of the peace-loving people of Lagos state, particularly those doing their legitimate businesses within motor parks, hence the urgent need to take drastic actions against him.
“It is on record that you were earlier issued with queries on 25th of February 2022 and 3rd of March, 2022 respectively in which you were directed to explain the circumstances surrounding your untoward actions and to also show cause why disciplinary actions should not be taken against you for such acts of insubordination. You bluntly neglected/refused to respond to the second query, while your response to the first query was unsatisfactory.
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“In view of your suspension, you are hereby directed to hand over the mantle of leadership of the Lagos State Council to the State Deputy Chairman and also surrender all Union properties in your possession to the State Secretary of the Union forthwith”.
Earlier in the week, MC Oluomo, was at loggerheads with the national president of the union, Tajudeen Baruwa, and other executives for meddling in operations of tricycle operators in the state, promising not to back down until the national body accepted his stance.
In his statement titled: ‘I Say No To Any Form Of Intimidation From Anyone’, the now suspended state chairman maintained that he would stand against anyone trying to bring division into the union in Lagos.
“Since my resumption in office as the Lagos State Chairman NURTW, my watchword has been UNITY and PEACE, for over two years now, there has been a lot of rebranding, unity, and peaceful co-existence amidst the members because I tried as much as possible to ensure there’s no room for division or intimidation from anyone.
“I wouldn’t take this from anyone who’s trying to bring division and disunity among Lagos state NURTW members, I tag them betrayal and agent of destruction, NURTW Lagos council has been the only loyal state from South West to national headquarters Abuja: in terms of dues and other obligations, the president can attest to what’s happening in Oyo state, Ondo, Edo state even his own claimed state Ogun state, there are no NURTW activities in those state all because the experience isn’t really there on the part of National president,” Oluomo noted.