By Michael Adeyinka
Members of the state executive council of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria ( RTEAN) rose from an emergency meeting rejecting the purported dissolution of the state executive by the national President Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo.
They claimed the dissolution which was not ratified by RTEAN’s National Executive Council (NEC) is null and void.
They demanded that the state government not accord any recognition to the purported dissolution coming 48 hours after the state Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed the Chief of Staff Mr Tayo Ayinde to call a meeting for Tuesday to seek amicable resolution of all grievances by members of the union.
They accused the Eriyo of attempt to destabilise the Lagos State council and urged the government to disregard any attempt to drag the state into violence.
Reading the communique signed by all the 46 members in attendance, the state Secretary Comrade Rahman Lekan Amusan, listed seven reasons why the illegal dissolution of the state excos ought not to stand.
According to not only did the NEC not hold any meeting ratifying the decision, in accordance with Article 7, section 2(d) of the association’s constitution, the current tenure of the state exco has not elapsed, and the secretary General, being an employee of the union cannot implement a decision not decided by NEC.
Amusan alleged that the Lagos State Exco only last week, paid the sum of N60 million for ratification for continuity in office for all state members of exco saying the exco was shocked at the game plan of the national president to destabilise.
He said the state exco remained committed to peace and would resist any attempt to drag the union into violence.
Amusan added that the exco and members of the union in the state are solidly behind the leadership of the state chairman Alhaji Musa Mohammed and have unanimously passed a vote of confidence on him and his ambition to seek second term.
Also speaking, the chairman Alhaji Must Mohammed said the antics of the national President is not surprising as; ”he had overthrown the validly elected president of the union after the 1pth national delegates conference on May 22, 2018, even while he had been expelled as a member.”
He wondered why a President who had personally fixed the date for the presentation of the continuity certificate for September 11, and had enjoyed the hospitality of his members who had handsomely paid to ensure he was comfortable turned back to stab the same union by foisting crisis on it.
He said: ”We paid the sum of N60 million just to ensure we ratified everything necessary to ensure we secure the continuity ticket in line with our constitution only to get notification that our council have been purportedly sacked.
”After the meeting between all parties with the state government on Friday, which was coordinated by the Commissioner for Transportation Dr Frederic Oladeinde and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation Mr Oluwatoyin Fasanya, the meeting was adjourned till Tuesday, to allow all parties to settle the crisis amicably. The National President had left for Benin, the Edo State capital, and we were looking forward to the Tuesday meeting only to receive a mail on Sunday by the Secretary General that our exco had been dissolved.”
He said the state council remained committed to the peaceful resolution of all grievances leading to the crisis.
Deputy Director Operations Comrade Albert Omotayo said the exco remained committed to the Musa Mohammed leadership.
The State Treasurer Alhaji Taofeek Ajayi
said the National President should desist from antics aimed at destroying the fabric of unity in the union.
”RTEAN is a noble association of owners and not touts and hoodlums and we remained committed to peace and progress of the union which has continued to be at the core of the values of the Mohammed leadership in the state,” Ajayi said.