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By Mandy Tina
The National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, has delivered judgement in favour of the duly elected executive of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in a suit filed by Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa and 13 others, challenging the illegal take-over of the national secretariat by Najeem Usman Yasin.
The claimants, Baruwa and 13 others, who were elected and inaugurated as NURTW National Administrative Council during the quadrennial National Delegates Conference in Lafia on August 23, 2023, had approached the court, in suit No. NICN/ABJ/263/2023, challenging the illegal takeover of the national secretariat and the constitution of a caretaker committee.
In a judgement delivered on March 11, 2024, Justice O.O Oyewumi ordered that the defendants, Najeem Usman Yasin, 6 others and privies, are restrained from interfering in the affairs of the 14th claimant.
The court declared the caretaker committee as illegal, as well as every appointment instituted by the committee.
Justice Oyewumi ruled that the actions of the defendants, which had been earlier held in the judgment to be contrary to the provisions of the constitution of the union, and all actions taken by the 4th defendant Kayode Agbeyangi, “Acing General Secretary,” are hereby declared unlawful, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.
The judge held that the claimants’ action succeeds in the most part except relief one (1) in the Originating
Summons, while reliefs 2,3,4, 5, 6,7,8 and 10 succeed.
The court further ruled that relief 9 succeeds only to the extent that the 1st defendant as the chairman of the Board of Trustees has no right to interfere in the day to day running of tie affairs of the union, as the role of the Board of Trustees is only limited to mediatory and advisory roles and does not include interfering in the running of the activities of the union.
By this rulling Chief Monday Eleazar remains the state chairman of the union in Rivers State and vice president south south. The judgment equally put an end to the union’s factional leadership tussle in the state.
