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Supporters and associates of former factional Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oyo State branch, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (aka Auxiliary), have vowed to take over the leadership of the union on May 29, 2019.
They made the vow on Monday on a Yoruba talk show with Abiodun Adewole (Double A) on Splash FM Ibadan.
Ogunesan Ogunniran, a former Secretary of Lagelu Interstate of the NURTW in the state led other aides of Auxiliary to the station where they stated emphatically that the current acting Chairman of the NURTW in the state, Alhaji Abideen Olajide a.k.a Ejiogbe, will be sacked for Auxiliary to return.
Ogunniran said he is sure the new government in the state will intervene and put their group in charge of the union. He argued that it is those loyal to the party and government in power that should run the NURTW in the state.
Auxiliary was not on the programme even though he was earlier scheduled to appear. He however said in a telephone conversation, that the aides were not speaking for him. He denied vowing to take over by force.
His words: “I never said I will take over by force and I never said Ejiogbe must leave because there are rules to follow. But the truth is that the current NURTW leaders were not elected. When the time comes, the law will take its course”.
Makinde has however warned the union members to ensure that their leadership transition process does not disturb the peace of the state, vowing that there would be consequences for anyone who formented trouble.
Makinde, who spoke on Lagelu FM Ibadan two weeks ago, assured that he would allow the union to choose its leaders and run its affairs without government interference, but will be tough on anyone who tries to disturb public peace in the name of NURTW.
The Oyo State High Court had jailed Auxiliary six years over the June 4, 2011 fracas at a motor park in Iwo Road, Ibadan, which claimed lives of some innocent persons including a final year Medical student, Adekunle Oladipupo.
Others jailed with him include Saheed Kareem, Taiwo Tijani, Abu Kareem and Kazeem Kayode.
The fracas occured as a result of the struggle for the NURTW leadership following te swearing in of Governor Abiola Ajimobi on May 29, 2011.
In his judgement, Justice Eni Esan held that the prosecution witness, one Akeem Agbaje, told the court he was beside Adekunle Adedipupo on the said day, at about 9.45pm, when the accused persons with others at large invaded the motor park, shooting sporadically. Agbaje was said to have explained that a bullet hit the deceased during the shootout and he died on the spot.
Justice Esan discharged the accused persons on the murder charge after disagreeing with the witness who said he identified the accused persons with the help of head lights of the cars that lit up the scene.
Justice Esan further held that the accused persons both in evidence in chief and statement to the police, agreed that Auxiliary is their leader adding that they had been meeting in his Diamond Hotel at Alakia Isebo, Ibadan.
The court ruled that since the first accused person admitted that he owned guns and the accused were caught in a car with rounds of bullet, they were guilty of conspiracy and sentenced to six years imprisonment each.
Auxiliary and the late Lateef Salako (aka Eleweomo) were factional leaders of the NURTW who battled erstwhile chairman, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (aka Tokyo) for years over the union’s headship. The supremacy battle led to violent attacks at motor parks across Ibadan.
Eleweomo was however killed in 2010 during the build-up to the 2011 general elections.
In the Splash FM interview, Auxiliary said he was incarcerated simply for supporting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also denied being expelled by the national leadership of the NURTW as being claimed by Ejiogbe.
Ejiogbe took over in August last year immediately after the death of former chairman, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde a.k.a Fele.
A statement issued then by the NURTW National President, Alhaji Nojeem Yasin, said Ejiogbe would be actilng in place of the late chairman who died after battling with a protracted illness.