The National Union of Road Transport Workers has reportedly passed votes of no confidence on former president of the union, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa over gross misconduct.
National Chairman Caretaker Committee of the NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede revealed this while speaking at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.
Baruwa on the tenure as the president of NURTW expired on Aug. 28.
He said, we the undersigned, having the mandate of our members in the various states and zones unanimously passed a vote of no confidence on Alh. Tajudeen Baruwa.
He claimed that Baruwa had committed many atrocities while he served as president of the union from Aug. 2019 to Aug. 2023.
He also alleged that Baruwa had reduced membership of the union in the International Transport Federation from 400,000 members to a paltry 160,000 members.
Agbede equally explained that the former president failed or neglected to pay affiliation dues as and when due, thus causing the union to be deregistered from ITF.
“In a letter referenced NLC/NS/A.16 dated 27th August, 2019, the NLC wrote to NURTW commending the union for showing “good example to other affiliate unions of the NLC.
“That is by continuing to be financially up to date” and for “being financially up to date as at the end of July 2019,”he did.
He, then stressed that sundry letters received from NLC during Baruwa’s administration were various demands for payment of affiliation dues.
Agbede stated further that the dues at one point, were owed for as long as 18months, April – December 2021, and January — September 2022.
He pointed out that Baruwa failed or neglected to account for Independence National Electoral Commission moneys paid during his administration for the 2023 general election.
He also said that during the four years administration of the former president of the union, the National Executive Council only held four times.
He said that this was against the constitutional provisions of Article 10 (2) of the union’s constitution.
Agbede also said Baruwa had arbitrarily mandated the posting of union staff without concomitant relocation allowances or transfer claims, among others.
He said that, thus causing unnecessary hardship and adversity to staff.
“He failed to abide by constitutional provisions in respect to succession, by refusing and/or neglecting to conduct a credible Zonal Delegates Elections for the continuity of the union.
“Thus putting the union into unnecessary drama before right-thinking members of the public, ”he added.
NAN reported that a unanimous decision Baruwa was elected president for a second four-year term on Aug. 25.
