The newly sworn-in chairman of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Osun State, Kazeem Oyewale, has appealed to residents to stop associating the union with violence, insisting that its members are peaceful, law-abiding citizens committed to their work.
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‎Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Sunday, Oyewale said calm had returned to motor parks across the state after the leadership dispute that disrupted activities earlier in the week.
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‎He noted that transport operations had resumed normally following the intervention of the union’s national leadership, which resolved the crisis and inaugurated a new state executive in Abuja.
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‎The chairman urged the police to investigate the deaths of members allegedly killed during the unrest and encouraged those who had stayed away from the parks because of the crisis to return to work.
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‎Oyewale also called on the Osun State Government to engage with the newly inaugurated leadership, stressing that the NURTW is an independent organisation ready to work with government and other stakeholders.
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‎He described leadership changes as a normal part of any organisation, explaining that the inauguration in Abuja officially empowered the new executives to oversee the union’s affairs in the state.
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‎Also speaking, the union’s interim secretary and Group Two chairman for the Ife Federal Constituency, Ayinde Olakunle, said peace had been restored across motor parks. He urged members to maintain unity and avoid actions capable of disrupting public order, adding that the union remained one family despite its recent challenges.
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‎The leadership crisis escalated on Monday when members staged protests in major motor parks across Osun, declaring a vote of no confidence in factional chairman Nurudeen Alowonle.
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‎The protesters accused Alowonle of posing a security risk, alleging that his actions disrupted transport services, threatened passenger safety and forced many members out of business as commuters reportedly lost confidence in public transportation.
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‎However, Governor Ademola Adeleke maintained that Alowonle and his executive remained the recognised leadership of the NURTW in the state.
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‎In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor said the executives were duly appointed by the union’s national body under its national chairman in accordance with the organisation’s constitution and operational guidelines.