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Tag: NURTW

  • NURTW boss warns against violence

    NURTW boss warns against violence

    Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede has warned members to desist from violence.

    He said the warning became necessary because of the police threat to seal off any park where there is violence.

    Agbede was reviewing the Oshodi crisis in which three persons died at the union’s monthly meeting over the weekend.

    The union, he said, would no longer allow disgruntled elements to tarnish its image.

    “We have been enjoying peace in the Lagos State council since I came on board about three years ago. I will not fold my hands and allow some disgruntled elements to rubbish my achievements. We shall not allow them to take us back to the dark period in the history of the union when violent clashes in all the parks were the order of the day,” he said.

    Agbede warned that where there is violence, the state council would take over the park after suspending its executive members.

    He thanked the police, the Department of Security Service (SSS) and Lagos State government for their support and understanding.

  • NURTW warns against thuggery

    NURTW warns against thuggery

    The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has warned its members against being used to perpetrate violence during the coming elections.

    It said the era of desperate politicians approaching members of the union for alleged political thuggery and violence was over.

    NURTW President, Najeem U. Yasin, spoke to reporters at the weekend in Ilorin,  after inaugurating the Central Mosque at the Ilorin International Airport.

  • Ladoja faults INEC’s pact with NURTW

    Ladoja faults INEC’s pact with NURTW

    The governorship candidate of Accord in Oyo State, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, has faulted the decision of the state’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to engage the services of commercial drivers in conveying election materials to voting centres.

    Ladoja, who spoke through his campaign organisation, condemned the choice, describing it as “an unholy alliance” between INEC and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    He said it was a call for anarchy.

    The campaign group, in a statement by its Director-General, Adeolu Adeleke, said the arrangement to use buses belonging to NURTW members to convey INEC officers during elections was suspicious.

    Adeleke said the arrangement was not only wrong on account of NURTW members being loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but also endangers the integrity of the results of the elections.

    “We want to advise the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rufus Akeju, not to centralise the hiring of buses; rather, the electoral officer in each local government council should be given the opportunity to hire buses without any condition attached to it.

    “We want the REC to conduct free and fair elections and warn him not to engage in any activity that will change the will of the people, as any attempt to do this will be strongly resisted.”

  • Delta nurtw urges fed govt to reduce petrol’s price

    The Delta State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), has urged the Federal Government to reduce the price of petroleum products to reflect the fall in international oil price.

    Its Chairman, Ifeanyi Obi, noted that while the increase in fuel price was justifiable when the international oil price was high, the current N97 per litre is untenable.

    The driver’s union also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to fix petroleum refineries for Nigerians to have full benefits of having crude oil.

    His words: “There is complaint of hardship in the country because of crash in price of oil in the international market; so, the Federal  Government should also reduce the cost of fuel. If the price of fuel is reduced, we will  reduce transport fares and cost of goods and services will reduce in the country.

    “The Federal Government should make our refineries to work at full capacity. Let them construct new ones so that Nigeria will not import fuel and the cost of fuel will be reduced in the country.”

    Obi praised Jonathan for performing  creditably in the transport sector.

  • Two injured in NURTW, RTEAN clash

    Two injured in NURTW, RTEAN clash

    •Police summon seven 

    The police in Ondo town, Ondo State, have invited seven members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and their counterparts from the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), following a clash between the two unions.

    Two members, including the RTEAN Chairman, Okada branch, Lipakala unit,  Amadu Jamiu, were injured, in the clash which was said to have occurred at Lipakala junction.

    Jamiu, who spoke with reporters at the emergency ward of the State Specialist hospital, alleged that the attackers, suspected NURTW members, were led by Abdulahi Olawale.

    The victim alleged that the attackers stormed the loading park in the area to unleash mayhem on them.

    He traced the source of the conflict to  the decision to move from NURTW to RTEAN.

    “We were members of the NURTW, but we decided to move to RTEAN. We wrote a later to them and accompanied it with an affidavit to support our claims. Since then, they have been threatening us.”

    The RTEAN Chairman in Ondo town, Sebeeni Obadun, described the attack as unfortunate. A NURTW chieftain, Henry Ajetomobi, described all allegations levelled against his members as untrue

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Olu-Ojo Ogunmoyole, confirmed the report. He said members of the two unions were invited for questioning.

     

  • ‘Collect your PVCs’

    Chairman of the Lagos State Council of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Tajudeen Agbede has urged commercial drivers to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    Agbede said despite the hiccups in the distribution, they should not be discouraged.

    The NURTW boss said the union remained a partner in progress and responsible organisation which will continue to cooperate with the government to ensure the success of government policies.

  • Court remands OPC leader in prison

    Court remands OPC leader in prison

    Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, has remanded in custody the State Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) leader, Adeniyi Adedipe, also known as Apase, for alleged murder.

    Police prosecutor Caleb Leranmo told the court that the accused committed the offence on or April 7 and September 25 in Ado-Ekiti.

    Leramo alleged that the accused conspired to murder the former National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman, Omolafe Aderiye and also attempted to murder Olumide Gabriel.

    The police prosecutor said he had duplicated the case file and sent it to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

    Adedipe’s plea for bail by his counsel, Chris Omokafe, was denied by Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye.

    Magistrate Adegboye adjourned the case till December 1.

     

  • Ekiti RTEAN boss, others remanded for murder

    Ekiti RTEAN boss, others remanded for murder

    Ekiti State Chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) Adebayo Aderiye (alias Ojuigo) and three members were remanded in prison custody for their alleged roles in the murder of former state Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Omolafe Aderiye (alias Lafeade).

    Aderiye, 58, who was not related to the remanded RTEAN chair, was murdered on September 25 at Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    The three others are Sola Durodola, Kayode Ajayi and Oso Farotimi.

    Although their counsel,Fred Izuange and Yemi Ogunremi, objected that the name of the person alleged to have been murdered was not stated in the charge sheet, their pleas were not taken as the case involved murder.

    Police prosecutors Samson Osobu and Sunday Nwachekwa told the court that the case file had been duplicated and forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

    The offence, according to the charge sheet, was punishable according to sections 324 and 319 of Criminal Code Law Cap C16, Laws of Ekiti State.

    Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye ordered the accused remanded in custody till legal advice from the ministry was sought.

  • NURTW ‘thugs’ clash in Ibadan

    NURTW ‘thugs’ clash in Ibadan

    At least 27 cars and 17 trucks have been vandalised by thugs suspected to be members of the National Union of Road Transport Works (NURTW) in a clash at the Express Quarry Nigeria Limited, Kilometre 15, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ekefa Village in Ibadan.

    The problem started from the collection of N2,500 from drivers for each load of granite by NURTW members.

    The truck drivers, it was gathered, wanted to pay once in a day, saying the N2,500 for each load of granites was exploitative.

    Guns, cutlasses, broken bottles, granite and clubs were said to have been used freely during the melee.

    A truckload of granite, a driver said, costs about N130,000.

    The fracas, which reportedly started at 9:15am, left many people injured.

    Sources said nobody died though many were injured.

    Many of the workers and quarry operators were said to have fled into the bush and the canal near the site.

    The pandemonium also caused a gridlock on the expressway. Passengers were said to have fled inside the bush.

    The Commissioner of Police, Kola Sodipo, visited the scene of the incident yesterday.

    He urged the stakeholders to maintain peace, saying the police had started working and justice would be served.

    At the site yesterday, the Divisional Officer (DPO), Toll Gate Divisional Headquarters, Ibadan, Olufemi Awoyale, anti-riot policemen, two armoured personnel carriers, six hilux vehicles and one Black Maria were sighted.

    The incident, it was gathered, had triggered a protest from members of the Oluyole Ibadan Granites Sellers and Hauler Association, truck owners and drivers, who demanded that they did not want NURTW office at the quarry any longer.

    Some NURTW executive members placated the protesters with a promise that a delegation would visit the quarry to resolve the matter.

    It was gathered that Awoyale invited five representatives of the warring factions for a meeting. The meeting was reportedly in progress when the hoodlums stormed the quarry.

    Policemen from Toll Gate were said to have responded swiftly and shot into the air to scare the troublemakers.

    When the matter got out of hand, the policemen called for reinforcement. The arrival of the mobile policemen was said to have restored peace to the quarry.

    A source said: said: “Two customers who came to pay for granites were attacked.They had not paid before the problem broke out. The thugs collected their money.

    “The issue is that we don’t want NURTW office in this place again. This is an office and we have our associations here, which are subsidiaries of NURTW.

    “The association will control its members and we will collect levies and remit the statutory ones to the NURTW state secretariat.”

  • NB partners FRSC on ‘don’t drink and drive’

    NB partners FRSC on ‘don’t drink and drive’

    The seventh edition of the Don’t Drink and Drive campaign by the Nigeria Breweries (NB) Plc took off on a remarkable note recently, when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

    Thanking the FRSC for being a great partner in executing the past editions of the campaign, NB Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Mr Nicolaas Vervelde said since its launch, the company has held 27 rallies in major cities across the country to sensitise and build the capacities of commercial and private vehicle drivers, motorcycle and tricycle riders and other road users on responsible consumprion of alcohol.

    Vervelde said the Don’t drink and drive campaign is about spreading the messages of responsible consumption of alcohol which the company would continue to communicate through strategic partnership with print and electronic media especially during this “Ember” period and beyond.

    He said as part of strengthening this year’s edition, public enlightenment campaigns would be held in four cities across Nigeria namely Port Harcourt, Lagos, Onitsha and Markurdi, while there would also be capacity building workshops for officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, and the of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

    He said: “We anticipate that messages communicated through these avenues will further enhance awareness of roa safety and encourage positive changes on driver’s behaviour in relation to alcoholic consumption.

    The FRSC Corps Marshal Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, praised the strong partnership between the agency and the Nigeria Breweries, adding that the MoU would further strengthen the partnership.

    He said the don’t drink and drive campaign has endured over the years because of the corporate interst of the Nigeria Breweries in safeguarding people’s lives and property on the nation’s highways.

    He challenged road users to show restraint in drinking especially when driving. He said too much alcohol in the blood; “reduces the sense of judgement of the driver, increases among others, the risk of committing speed violation, wrongful overtaking and other dangerous acts that could compromise safety.”

    Oyeyemi who challenged other corporate organisations to copy the good steps of the brewery giant, said FRSC would be looking forward to more support from all corporate organisations to further spread the message of safety.

    Oyeyemi, who said his men would go all out to ensure the success of the “DDD” campaign said the Corps has taken delivery of alcolizers from the Ministry of Works and these would be deployed by his men nationwide to arrest any driver driving under the influence of alcohol.

    “We want to make sure that we deployed the evidence based alcolizers as well use our radars and we would ensure that those caught are promptly referred to our mobile courts for quick adjudication of their cases,” he said.

    He said the agency would go all out in the next few weeks in its bid to reduce road crashes and deaths in the “Ember months”.

    The highpoint of the event was the inauguration of the Nigeria Breweries Special Corps Marshal, led by the Managing Director, Vervelde.

    Vervelde said the 3,000 special corps are employees of the company who have volunteered to carry out patrol, coordinate traffic and other perform other road safety activities within and around Lagos.