Don’t drag us into your dispute with FG, NURTW tells NLC

Don’t drag us into your dispute with FG, NURTW tells NLC

The leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers( NURTW) has warned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) not to bring them into its tussle with the Federal Government over fuel subsidy issue.

The NURTW said its internal crisis should not be used as bait to hold government to ransom.

It will be recalled that the NLC had in a press statement credited to the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, threatened that the labour movement would not attend any meeting called or involving Minister of Labour, Simon Bako Lalong, premising its stand on the ground that the minister was plotting to thwart the agreement reached with the Federal Government concerning the resolution of the crisis rocking the NURTW.

Ajero accused the minister of taking sides with a faction of the NURTW.

But reacting to the NLC statement, the Acting General Secretary of the union, Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, berated the NLC leadership, accusing it of crying more than bereaved.

“We would have ignored the NLC president, but there is a need to put the record straight.

“For record purposes, there is no more factions in the NURTW. We are intact and indivisible and this was demonstrated with various resolutions of our CWC and NEC meetings and with successful hosting of our 10th quadrennial delegate conference on 25th October, 2023.
“It has become the stock in trade of the NLC to blackmail everybody trying to find amicable solution to the union problems. They began with President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who they accused of providing security cover for the union and now it is the turn of Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment to be blackmailed.

“To Ajaero, it must be Baruwa by all means and nothing more.”

He explained that the minister, in his efforts at resolving the Baruwa-induced crisis, invited all the parties and each party presented their position paper to the ministry, but after the first meeting, Baruwa refused to attend subsequent meetings.

He added that the ministry felt a single individual could not hold the union to ransom, hence he gave the directive that the process of getting new leaders for the union should commence.

Agbeyangi warned the NLC leadership not to drag the NURTW into its problem with the Federal Government.
“Our union wants the NLC to handle its problems with the Federal Government without necessarily dragging our union into it.

He said, “NURTW is a registered body with its own constitution and we are conducting our affairs in conformity with the union constitution.
“We are therefore using this medium to appeal to the NLC to desist from using NURTW issues as a bait in its dispute with the Federal Government.”