Makinde proscribes Oyo road transport workers’ union, NURTW

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has proscribed the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state. The Chief of Staff to the governor, Bisi Ilaka, announced the proscription on Friday.

He said the measure was due to violence and crisis within the union.

The crisis started when a faction of the union threatened to force a change of the leadership of the union.

There had been tension in Ibadan and other major towns in the state since after the March 9 victory of Governor Seyi Makinde of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Members of a faction of the union threatened to change the NURTW leadership on the inauguration day of the new governor on Wednesday.

The police in the state said they had arrested six members of the union over violence that erupted between two factions of the union.

The two warring groups are those loyal to the chairman of the union, Abideen Olajide, and others loyal to the former acting chairman of the union, Mukaika Lamidi.

But, the state government in its bid to curb the excesses of the union, announced its proscription.

The state government in a statement on Friday said that all parks and garages had been taken over by the state government.

“While appreciating the good people Oyo State for their steadfastness overtime and support for this administration, we stand on the need to maintain peace and tranquility in the state in order to engender commercial and human development,” the Chief of Staff to the governor, Bisi Ilaka, said in a statement.

“After today’s deliberation, with security and stakeholders meeting involving security chiefs and the governor, we have resolved to proscribe the NURTW in this state until further notice.”

“All activities of the union remain illegal henceforth. We urge the people of the state to go about their lawful duties without fear of molestation as combined security task force in every community of the state have been charged to control and maintained peace and order.

“Parks and garages in the state has been taken over by the Oyo State Government with immediate effect”.