There is no rancour in the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Egbeda Branch, Ibadan, Oyo State, Alhaji Omolewa Tomiwa, has said.
Tomiwa who is the chairman of the branch of the union described reports of crisis in the branch as untrue.
He made denial while speaking with journalists at the union’s secretariat in Egbeda.
He said the report was a propaganda to dent the image of the union leadership in the state.
It would be recalled that a former state chairman of the union, Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi (a.k.a, Auxiliary), was alleged to have led some members to attack members loyal to the present leadership of the union in the state.
Tomiwa said, “The news shocked us and created serious embarrassment for us all. Even at the national level, national leaders of NURTW were greatly disturbed; they kept calling us for the confirmation of the story since it was reported to have happened within Egbeda. Egbeda secretariat is the hub of the Union in Oyo State. The damage done to this Union by the media through this news was terrible and unacceptable.
“Not this time when we are sanitising and repositioning the Union. No one can cause any problem or crisis among our members again, as we do not pray for bloodshed again. We are collaborating with security agencies to monitor activities of all our members and branches. If you stay for another 30 minutes you are likely to see patrol teams of Operation Burst, Police, Army and even SSS.
“Egbeda is the major focus point, we have eight police stations within Egbeda, there was no way such attack would happen and it would not get to the knowledge of any of the stations around here.”
Omolewa who sought the cooperation of the media, also appealed to them to always get clarification before going to press.
An elder in the union, who is a former chairman of Egbeda branch, Prince Bankole Adeyonu, while seeking good relationship between the NURTW and media in the state, insisted that there was only one NURTW in Oyo state.
“We do not have factions in the NURTW; we are one, we all know who the head is. Nothing has changed, the agreement reached by the two groups when the national chairman held meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde stands.
“Politically power must change, it is not peculiar to Oyo State alone. When government changes at state level from one political party to another, corresponding change in the leadership of the NURTW is inevitable, of course this is also not peculiar to our Union alone,” he said.
