CITIZENS COMPASS —The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja on Monday, March 11, 2024, sacked the Tajudeen Agbede-led Caretaker committee of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW).
The Court also upheld the re-election of Tajudeen Baruwa as president of the Union.
Justice O. O. Oyewumi delivered the judgment affirming that the Delegates’ conference across the six zonal councils held on May 24, 2023, where Baruwa emerged as President for a second term in office was valid.
The presiding judge also restrained the former President of the Union, Najeem Yasin, who was the Board of Trustees chairman, from interfering in the day-to-day running of union affairs.
She held that Najeem could only act as chairman of the board.
The court also validated the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held on August 23, 2023, at Ta’al Hotels in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where the president and other national officers were inaugurated.
Oyewumi declared illegal, null, and unconstitutional the national delegates’ conference held on October 25, 2023, where the current Acting President, Isa Ore, and his National Administrative Council were said to have emerged.
According to the judge, there was no evidence of a crisis in the union.
Consequently, she held that there was no basis for the invocation of the ‘doctrine of necessity’ that led to the constitution of the caretaker committee.
“The National Delegates conference held on October 25, 2023 cannot stand and is therefore declare null and void.
“Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin is also restrained from interfering in the day-to-day running of the affairs of the union. Though he can act as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the union,” the judge ruled.
Recall that on August 28, 2023, Tajudeen Badru Agbede allegedly mobilised thugs from Lagos state to the secretariat of the union located at Garki 2 and attacked the national officers including Tajudeen Baruwa.
The secretariat was said to be forcefully taken over by MC Oluomo in anticipation that Oluomo will be in charge of NURTW Lagos while Agbede will run the Abuja affairs of the Union.
