The federal government has ordered the suspension of all activities by the factions of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) pending a peaceful resolution of the ongoing dispute.
This was disclosed by in a statement signed by Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong and made available to Reporters on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed to the National President of the union, Lalong stated that this decision followed a meeting held with the NURTW executives.
The letter, titled ‘Leadership Of The National Union Road Transport Workers (NURTW) And Industrial Coup D’état By The Former President Of The Union, Alh Najeem Usman Yasin And His Rampaging Illegal Militia-A Clarion Call For Intervention,’ informed both factions about the suspension.
The letter outlined that the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment has taken charge of the dispute under Section 5 of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8 Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The letter read, “Following the meeting held with you on the above subject, I am directed to inform you that, in line with the power conferred on the Honourable Minister of Labour by Section 5 of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8 Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment has apprehended this dispute.
“In view of the above, the Honourable Minister has directed the suspension of all further activities by the factions of the NURTW pending an amicable resolution of the dispute.
“For the avoidance of doubt, all activities in furtherance of the election of new executives and related to the day-to-day operations of the union are suspended henceforth.
“Further directives would be communicated to you on or before Friday 13th October 2023. This information has also been communicated to the other faction in the dispute.
“Please accept the assurances of the kind regards of the Honourable Minister.”
This move follows the recent leadership crisis within the union, where a faction led by Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede forcefully took over the National Secretariat, leading to the detention of the incumbent President, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, and three other national officers.
The situation escalated when a man was brutally attacked in Abuja by members of the union, causing public outrage and prompting swift intervention.
