The Oyo State Government has lifted the ban placed on the activities of the state branch of the National Union of Road Transporters Workers.
This was disclosed in Ibadan on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Akin Olajide, after the meeting of the State Security Council held at the Governor’s Office.
Olajide said that the lifting of the ban became necessary after the composition of a caretaker committee to handle the affairs of the union in the state by the national headquarters of the NURTW and after various appeals to the state government by the national executive council of the union, especially its promise to ensure that peace reigned among all the factions of the union in the state.
“Consequent upon the appeal of the national body of the National Union of Road Transport Workers to the state government and the resolution of the State Security Council meeting, the Oyo State Government has decided to lift the ban on the activities of the union in all garages in the state,” Olajide said.
According to him, the state government believes that the union would reciprocate this lift of the ban on its activities by ensuring that the terms of reference provided by the national union of the body are strictly adhered to.
Olajide said that, among other things, the national body of the NURTW had agreed to ensure a peaceful coexistence among all the factions of the union in the state and do everything possible to unite all the members of the union for a peaceful co-existence.
The state scribe also said that the national union of the body had agreed with the state government to take necessary actions in ensuring that peaceful coexistence, which entails restructuring of the union at all levels of the state, would take place immediately for an overall goal of ensuring that peace, harmony reign supreme among the factions of the union in the state.
“More fundamentally, the national body of the union agreed with the state government that the caretaker committee will ensure that in the next three months, all necessary steps would be taken to organize free, fair and credible elections at all branches of the NURTW in the state,” Olajide said.
The SSG further said that the state government was assuring the general public of its commitment to peace, harmony and safety of lives and property of every law-abiding citizen of the state.
He said: “Government also wants to state unequivocally that we are not interested in interfering in the running of the affairs of the NURTW but will not shy away from the responsibility of ensuring peace and security in the state. We are also determined to prevent return to any vestige of the past image of brigandage in the state, under any circumstance.
“We are determined to protect the current peace enjoyed by the state which is already attracting investors to our state, as the fundamental requirement of development is peace and security. As part of steps we have taken towards peace, order and orderly environment in our state, government has constructed and is still constructing more ultra-modern garages for intra and inter-state vehicles, as well as erecting bus stops and a general effort is being made at improving the transportation sector in the state.”
While stating that government expected that the transport union would reciprocate this gesture by helping to maintain peace in the state, the state scribe said that government would do everything within its powers to guide jealously the peace that the administration has brought to the state.