Osun NURTW Crisis: Caretaker Chairman Oyewale Assumes Office, Declares Peace as Government Maintains Opposition

The newly inaugurated Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Osun State, Alhaji Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Ashiri Eniba, has officially assumed office, declaring that peace has returned to motor parks across the state following the resolution of the union’s leadership crisis.

Oyewale made the declaration on Saturday after his inauguration by the national leadership of the NURTW at the union’s national headquarters in Garki, Abuja.

The Osun State Council of the NURTW has been embroiled in a leadership tussle between the Oyewale faction and another led by Nurudeen Wakili, popularly known as Alowonle. The dispute sparked protests, violence, disruption of commercial activities and the suspension of union operations in motor parks by local government chairmen across the state.

The crisis reached a peak on July 20 when members of the Oyewale faction protested in Osogbo over alleged denial of access to a motor park. The protest turned violent, with gunshots injuring three security operatives.

Following the incident, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Osun suspended NURTW activities in motor parks and appointed Oyewale to head a caretaker committee.

Speaking after taking office, Oyewale appealed to residents not to associate commercial drivers with violence, describing union members as responsible citizens committed to earning a living.

He also urged the police to conclude investigations into the killings recorded during the crisis and bring those responsible to justice.

According to him, leadership changes are a normal part of union administration, noting that the newly constituted executive was inaugurated in Abuja to oversee the affairs of the Osun State Council.

Oyewale called on members who had stayed away from the union to return, assuring them that the doors of the leadership remained open to all.

He also appealed to the Osun State Government to work with the caretaker committee, insisting that the NURTW is an independent organisation ready to collaborate with all stakeholders.

The caretaker chairman commended the Nigeria Police Force for restoring calm and expressed confidence that commercial transport activities would fully resume in motor parks across the state on Monday.

Also speaking, the union’s Interim Secretary and Group 2 Chairman for Ife Federal Constituency, Ayinde Mutiu, said normal operations had resumed in motor parks and urged members to embrace peace and unity.

Meanwhile, the national leadership of the NURTW, led by President Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, has backed the caretaker committee, insisting that no state governor has the constitutional authority to suspend the union’s activities.

Represented by Deputy National President Aliyu Issa Ore, the national body argued that the NURTW is a statutory organisation that operates independently of state governments and cited previous court rulings in support of its position.

Ore said the caretaker committee was constituted to provide leadership in Osun ahead of the forthcoming governorship election and to facilitate the implementation of the union’s Memorandum of Understanding with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on election logistics.

However, the Osun State Government has maintained its opposition to Oyewale’s leadership.

In a statement, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment Oluomo Alimi clarified that the government merely suspended union activities in motor parks to restore peace and did not dissolve the executive led by Alowonle.

The government insisted that the Alowonle-led executive remains the only recognised leadership of the union and directed security agencies to remove members of the caretaker committee from motor parks.

It also described ALGON’s appointment of a caretaker committee as illegal and unconstitutional, arguing that Governor Ademola Adeleke never removed the existing leadership, whose tenure is yet to expire.

The Osun State Police Command confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the July 20 violence. Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan said police recovered six expended cartridges, four vehicles, four motorcycles, military camouflage uniforms and suspected criminal charms during the operation.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun also criticised Governor Adeleke’s directive suspending NURTW activities, describing it as unconstitutional and citing a Court of Appeal judgment which held that the Oyo State Government lacked the powers to suspend the union’s operations.