I’m your senior in trade unionism, Agbede replies Baruwa as Falope joins new team

The leadership crisis within the National Union of Toad Transport Workers (NURTW) has shown no sign of abating as the two prominent leaders continue to engage in a war of words.

The new leader of the Union, Alhaji Tajudee Agbede, has berated his predecessor, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa, for calling him a puppet and a stooge.

Baruwa in a statement last week described Agbede as a puppet, a stooge and a thug.

Reacting to the statement on Sunday, Agbede said he had recorded more accomplishments in his trade unionism career than Baruwa.

He also accused his predecessor of destroying the union due to what he called his lack of “basic administrative and management skills to run a dynamic and complex trade union organization like NURTW.”

Agbede said he was the chairman of the Lagos State council for eight years and during which period, the council under him won the most outstanding council award repeatedly

He said, “For good eight years, the Lagos State council under me won the most outstanding council awards.

“Again, during my tenure as Lagos State council chairman, we built the most beautiful secretariat complex in the history of trade unionism in Nigeria.”

He challenged Baruwa to roll out his own record of achievements in the last four years as president of NURTW.

“I started my trade unionism career from the grassroots. I have been unit, branch, state chairman before moving to the national level. And at the national level of our union, I have been first trustee, national financial secretary, national vice president before this latest post.

“And in any of those position I have held, I delivered diligently. So, to call me a puppet or stooge is out of it,” he said

He appealed to members and staff of the union throughout the country to join hands with him to rescue the union.

Baruwa ally joins Agbede

Meanwhile, Comrade Joseph Falope, Ekiti State council chairman, who is a close associate of Baruwa, has pledged to work with Agbede.

Falope reportedly stormed the national headquarters of the union on Saturday  to pay solidarity visit to the new leader, Alhaji Agbede, in his office in Abuja.

Until now, Falope was a major backer of Baruwa in the southwest zone.

Of all the six states in southwest, it was learnt that only in Ekiti State that the union is allowed to operate.

Speaking during the visit, Falope was said to have expressed his loyalty to the new leadership of the union, promising that Ekiti State would not be found wanting in the discharge of its responsibilities to the national headquarters.