Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) yesterday described the Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held by the Najeem Yasin and Tajudeen Agbede-led group as illegal and unconstitutional.
In a statement signed by the incumbent President, Tajudeen Baruwa, he noted that in line with the provisions of the constitution of the union, it conducted its 10th Quadrennial National Delegate Conference, August 23, 2023 at Lafia, Nasarawa State.
Stressing that national officers were duly sworn-in and inaugurated, the union also stated that its constitution does not provide for an acting president where there is a substantive president.
” The attention of the leadership of NURTW has been drawn to a kangaroo National Quadrennial Delegates Conference purportedly held by Alhaji Najeem /Agbede’s led dissidents group on Wednesday October 25, 2023 at Maha event centre, Abuja.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the said delegates’ conference is not only a sham but also unconstitutional, illegal and null and void for the following reasons: The NURTW is a creation of the law and has an approved constitution that guides its operations and activities.
“The constitution of the union in Article 8,2(1) stipulates that the National Delegates Conference shall be held every four years in the month of August. The above provision of the constitution of the union is not ambiguous but mandatory and conclusive. So holding the national delegates conference in the month of October is a clear breach of the constitution of the union.
“It is on record that the National Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the union has been held in accordance with the dictates of the constitution of the union on August 23, 2023 at Lafia Nasarawa State, where in the national officers elected at the zonal delegates conference on May 24, 2023 were duly sworn-in and formally inaugurated.
” The constitution of the union does not provide for the acting president where there is substantive president,” it noted.
Baruwa therefore called on the union members, the general public and relevant authorities to disregard the ‘kangaroo’ delegates conference, adding that the conference and its organisers lack legitimacy and should not be taken seriously.
” On the strength of the above, we hereby condemn in its entirety the purported delegates conference wherein one Isa Ore was sworn-in as deputy president and mandated to act as president when there is already substantive president in the person of Baruwa.
“The general public and all relevant authorities are hereby advised to disregard the purported delegates’ conference as the organisers and the conference itself lacked legitimacy and is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect,” the statement added.
