Throughout the crisis that rocked the Oyo State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (aka Tokyo) name stood out as one to reckon with for good or for bad. Love him or hate him, he was a unionist who knew his onions and played his card so well that today he remain one of a few actors of that era to still be alive to tell the story.
A commercial driver turned unionist Tokyo was an active participant in the politics of the union including all the crises that not only almost ruined the NURTW in Oyo state but to some extent the larger politics in the state, albeit discreetly, since the commencement of this political dispensation.
A one-time deputy Chairman to Mr Ojewumi, Alhaji Akinsola took over as Chairman in 1999 as Nigerians were heralding the return of democracy. His reign was however replete with violence and witnessed a lot of internal turmoil.
It is generally believed that Tokyo ruled with a totalitarian grip on members of the union, sometimes leading to internal dissent. His reign also witnessed a lot of crises triggered by political lineage.
For instance, his leadership had problem with the Senator Rashidi Ladoja administration in the state between 2003 and 2007 during which he was incarcerated for alleged violent activities.
It is also believed that Tokyo coordinated a major support for the emergence of former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala in the 2007 election. But the relationship broke down in 2009 when Akala’s administration tried to remove him from the chairmanship position to pave way for the emergence of Alhaji. Lateef Salako (aka Eleweomo). It was learnt that Akala made the move after allegedly discovering that Tokyo was starting a pact with another candidate for the 2011 election, a poll in which the former was interested.
But the effort led to large-scale violent activities that claimed many lives and property, as rival groups within the union clashed, following the factionalisation into pro Tokyo and pro Eleweomo camps..
With an alleged trumped up charges, Tokyo was removed from office while Eleweomo was installed. But the former headed to the court, challenging the development. Tokyo won, but the Akala government would have none of this and it promptly banned the activities of the union, while encouraging Eleweomo continue underneath.
This expectedly did not go down well with Tokyo and his foot soldiers. They fought back, forming their own faction which inevitably led to regular violent clashes at motor parks during which many people were killed.
Tokyo fought on until 2011 when Governor Ajimobi was elected. But the last straw that broke the camel’s back for the union and the various factions was the killing of several passengers at the Iwo Road interchange on June 5, 2011, one week after Ajimobi was inaugurated as governor.
The new governor banned the activities of the union again and facilitated the setting up of a Caretaker Committee that later transformed to the current Executive of the union. Since then, the NURTW in Oyo State has returned to the path of peace.
However, Tokyo still insists on the subsisting court judgment that ordered his return to his former position. But counter cases against the judgment are still pending in court.
With an indomitable spirit, Tokyo is a dogged fighter who still has a good following within the union.
