The Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, under President Bola Tinubu’s 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.
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. Consequently, all activities related to the election of new executives and other day-to-day operations of the union are suspended until further notice. The letter assured that additional directives would be communicated by Friday, October 13, 2023.
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.