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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Delegates to the quadrennial congress of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Zone 2, South West, have appointed Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, as the acting chairman of the union in the South West.
The delegates also appealed to Ondo, Oyo and Osun governments to allow the union return to motor parks in their states.
Reading the resolutions after the congress held in Osogbo, former NURTW National Treasurer, Nasiru Komolafe, who presided over the congress, said MC Oluomo, who is the deputy chairman in the zone, would act as the chairman of the union pending election of substantive chairman.
Komolafe, who urged the governments of the states where activities of the union have been proscribed to rescind their decisions, noted that the post of the NURTW National President has been zoned to the South West.
He added that the union could not conduct its zonal congress because it could not form a quorum with the two states where the union is currently operating.
“We are supposed to have six states in Zone 2, South West, but unfortunately we have only two states where NURTW is currently operating. In the other four states, we are not operating there. By virtue of the NURTW constitution, we can’t conduct a zonal election with just two states out of six.
“At least, we are supposed to have four states. So we deliberated and we agreed to shift the zonal congress to October 19, 2023 because we are having the National Delegate Conference on October 25. I am using this medium to appeal to the remaining state governments in South West to please allow NURTW to work in their states.
“The post of the National President of the union has been zoned to the South West and if we fail to hold zonal congress, another zone may take the office from us. We appeal to our governors to allow NURTW to return to parks in their states,” he said.
On the issue of leadership of the union in the South West, Komolafe said: “Zonal chairman was not at the meeting, but the deputy zonal chairman came. The congress agreed that Musiliu Akinsanya, fondly called MC Oluomo, who until a while ago was deputy chairman of the zone, should take over the mantle of leadership of the zone in an acting capacity pending the time we will conduct the election.”