MC Olumo rejects Adeleke’s suspension of Osun motor parks, says “No governor has such power”

‘No governor has such power’ — MC Oluomo rejects Adeleke’s suspension of NURTW operations in Osun

Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, national president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), says Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun, lacks the constitutional power to suspend the union’s operations in the state.

On Thursday, the Osun governor ordered the immediate suspension of all NURTW activities in motor parks across the state.

Kolapo Alimi, commissioner for information and public enlightenment, said in a statement that the directive was issued after a meeting of the Osun state security council, chaired by the governor.

Alimi said the decision followed deliberations on the security situation in the state, adding that the governor has directed the police to stop collection of levies by the union across all motor parks in the state.

The governor also ordered security agencies to arrest anyone parading themselves as officials or executives of the union in any motor park.

‘NO GOVERNOR HAS SUCH POWER’

Reacting to the governor’s directive while addressing a press conference at the NURTW national headquarters in Abuja on Friday, Akinsanya said no state government could suspend the activities of the union under any circumstances.

Akinsanya, who was represented by Aliyu Ore, deputy national president of the NURTW, said the union, established by law, had secured several court victories on similar actions by other state governments in the past.

“Today, we heard that the state governor in Osun suspended the activities of our union, which they don’t have the power to do,” Akinsanya said.

“Not any single state governor has the power to suspend the activities of the union because we are not under any state. There is an Act that established the NURTW.”

He said over the past few weeks, the union has been without visible leadership in the state due to a protracted factional crisis.

He said, following the memorandum of understanding (MoU) recently signed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the NURTW’s national body has decided to appoint a caretaker committee to oversee the union’s operations in the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

“We have MoU with INEC. In view of this, we have to inaugurate the caretaker members who are to mount the leadership of the NURTW pending the time we resolve all issues attached to Osun,” he said.

Announcing the caretaker committee, he named Kazeem Oyewale as chairman, Sunday Oludare as secretary and Lukman Ahmed as treasurer, while Ismaila Abdurahim, Adebayo Tajudin, Tajudin Akin and Ayinde Mutiu would serve as members.

Akinsanya said the caretaker committee would oversee the affairs of the union in Osun until the leadership dispute is resolved.

MC- Oluomo

Credit – Cable