HUMAN rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has called on the Federal Government to immediately reinstate Tajudeen Baruwa as the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
This demand followed two court judgments affirming Baruwa’s leadership amid a prolonged leadership tussle within the union.
In a statement on Monday, November 18, Falana, a senior advocate, recounted how armed thugs stormed the NURTW national secretariat in Abuja on August 28, 2023, resulting in the death of a security officer and the unlawful seizure of the secretariat.
Following the invasion, Baruwa and members of his executive were arrested and charged with murder, but the charges were later withdrawn.
Falana noted that Baruwa consequently approached the National Industrial Court for legal redress.
The lawyer further noted that Baruwa’s opponents appealed the judgment.
However, on November 8, 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the National Industrial Court, recognising Baruwa as the union’s legitimate president.
“As a law-abiding citizen, comrade Baruwa approached the National Industrial Court for legal redress. In a judgment delivered on March 11, 2024, the court confirmed comrade Baruwa and members of his executive as the elected leaders of the NURTW.
“Dissatisfied with the judgment, the opponents of comrade Baruwa appealed to the Court of Appeal. On November 8, 2024, the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment. The justices of the court dismissed the appeal and confirmed the judgment of the National Industrial Court which had recognised comrade Baruwa as thepPresident of the NURTW,” Falana wrote.
A certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment, obtained by The ICIR, confirmed that the Court of Appeal, in its decision on appeal number CA/ABJ/CV/293/2024, dismissed the case filed by Najeem Usman Yasin and others against Baruwa and his executive.
The judgment, delivered by the court justices Hamma Akawu Barka, Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, and Asmau Ojuolape Akanbi, also ordered the appellants to pay ₦100,000 in costs.
Despite the Industrial Court’s ruling, Oluomo’s team conducted an election in which they declared him the union’s president. The Appeal Court nullified the election.
Oluomo was alleged by his loyalists to have received unanimous support from all delegates during the union’s quadrennial delegate conference for Zone 2, held in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
The ICIR reports that the election that led to Oluomo’s declaration as the union’s president was overseen by Aliyu Issa-Ore, the acting national president, whose own position had been nullified by the National Industrial Court in March 2023, a decision subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal.
While the court’s rulings affirm Baruwa’s leadership, the delay in enforcing the judgments has raised concerns over compliance with the rule of law, with Falana calling on the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a senior advocate, and the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, to restore Baruwa as the NURTW president.
“In view of the foregoing, we call on the attorney-general of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi SAN and the Inspector-General of police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun to ensure that comrade Baruwa is restored to his office in strict compliance with the judgments of the National Industrial Court and the Court of Appeal,” Falana said.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M