With the visible antagonism that the Oyo State Government has demonstrated toward the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state, OLALEKAN ADETAYO writes that an improper management of the situation might be likened to someone sitting on a keg of gunpowder Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (a.k.a. Tokyo) is not a public official. He is not the richest man in Oyo State, neither is he the oldest. But despite not having all these attributes, he wields a big influence in the Pacesetter State. Because of the army of people he commands, he is a beautiful bride that many of the politicians in the state will like to court. He is said to be instrumental to the electoral victories of many politicians in the state in the past. Akinsola is a factional leader of the state council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
Once upon a time, the union was a single entity without factions. While Akinsola was the chairman, his namesake, the late Alhaji Lateef Salako (a.k.a. Eleweomo) was his deputy. The NURTW, because of its large membership, played major roles in who got what in the state as far as electoral contests were concerned. That is why despite the widely-held belief that its members are violent in nature, the NURTW is a union that politicians love to hate.
At a point, Akinsola lost the leadership of the union to Salako in what many saw and probably still see as a power play that was orchestrated from outside the union. The powers-that-be were said to have more than a passing interest in the affairs of the union, especially as it concerns who leads it. The calculation is that if a man that is loyal to the powers-that-be is in charge, then the union and its members would be sympathetic to their cause.
At the time Salako took over based on a vote of no confidence passed in Akinsola, he (Akinsola) was in custody at Agodi Prisons over what many still see as trump-up charges. When he later gained his freedom, he took his matter before the National Industrial Court, which later declared his removal illegal and ordered his reinstatement.
Of course, the state government, apparently more comfortable with the leadership of Salako, who was seen by many to be loyal to the government, tried as much as possible (though behind the scene) to ensure that Akinsola did not return to the seat. When all efforts aimed at ensuring that Akinsola was reinstated based on the court judgement failed, especially with the Salako camp claiming that they had appealed against the judgement, Akinsola had to return to the NIC. It was at that point that the court specifically ordered the state police command to facilitate his (Akinsola’s) reinstatement.
A new dimension was introduced to the crisis when, a few hours after the police command enforced the court judgement by reinstating Akinsola, the state governor announced a decision to ban the activities of the union in the state.
So intense is the disdain that the government has for the Akinsola-led union that it decided to demolish the NURTW secretariat located in the Olomi/Academy area of the state capital. The state Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Alhaji Moshood Oyebamiji, had first in 2010 in an advertorial published in a newspaper, conveyed the government’s decision to auction the one-storey building to interested members of the public within six weeks. Oyebamiji was quoted as saying that the NURTW secretariat was being used by the present occupant “to override the public interest.”
But Akinsola, who spoke through the union’s Secretary, Mr. Lekan Aleshinloye, described the government’s plan as most unfortunate. He said that the government devised the new method when its cronies had failed on two occasions to forcibly take over the union’s secretariat from members of Akinsola’s faction.
He said it was saddening that it was only the union’s secretariat that was listed for revocation in the area, urging discerning members of the public to caution the government in the interest of peace. He said, “We purchased our land, we built it and the government did not allocate any land to us. We levied ourselves, branch by branch to put up the Olomi secretariat of our union. We purchased our land ourselves; we have the approved plan number and the rest of such and there is nothing like the C of O when we were putting up this place and fortunately enough, the family members of those we purchased the land from are still alive and living within our secretariat.”
At a point, Akinsola became attached to a coalition within the Peoples Democratic Party that is opposed to the second term ambition of the state governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala. He was publicly fraternising with the group that includes the Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin; Alhaji Yunus Akintunde; Senator Lekan Balogun; former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Alhaji Yekinni Adeojo; former Minister of Special Duties, Elder Wole Oyelese; Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Ayo Adeseun; another member of the House from the state, Mr. Kamil Akinlabi and former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Mr. Sharafadeen Ali, among others.
As events kept unfolding, it became obvious that the state government was not comfortable with leaving a “very helpful and useful” union like the NURTW in the hands of a man that has since been known not to be sympathetic to the state government and the government was hell bent on “getting rid” of him. So intense was the scenario that at a point, Akinsola had to go under. He made it public that he was leaving the state because his life was no longer guaranteed.
In December 2010, Salako was killed at a local government rally of the PDP held at the IDC Primary School in Olunloyo area of Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state. Folarin and three others were arraigned in connection with the murder and were remanded at the Agodi Prisons on the orders of a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku. They were later released when the police withdrew the charges against them. But a police preliminary report attached to the court processes showed that the police were at the time also on the trail of Akinsola and three others, whom they said were at large.
Akinsola has since denied any involvement in the killing, claiming that he was in Lagos for the burial of the fuji musician, Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, at the time Eleweomo was killed. He added that he had copies of receipts of hotel accommodation that would prove that he was sleeping in a hotel very far from the scene of the incident at that time.
Not ready to take the situation lightly, Akinsola again went incommunicado. The embattled union leader has obviously not been vocal and visible as he was before.
One major event that was again targeted at Akinsola was penultimate Thursday’s attempt by the state government to demolish the union secretariat that was met with strong resistance by an army of NURTW members.
The union members were said to have risen to tackle the situation. Sensing danger, members of the demolition squad abandoned their equipment and took to their heels. Their tractors were later burnt. Two persons died in the fracas. Akinsola was not seen anywhere near the scene.
The attempted demolition episode was preceded by the arrest of three loyalists of Akinsola in the premises of the state High Court at Ring Road, Ibadan, the state capital, where they had earlier gone for another matter. Although the police authorities claimed the suspects were arrested in connection with Salako’s death, Akinsola said they were arrested based on what he called a baseless allegation that they were responsible for the death of some private security guards in Salako’s house.
Akinsola’s counsel, Mr. Michael Lana, also penultimate Friday, alleged that some faceless persons suspected to be government agents were after his life. Lana, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, alleged that the person called his mobile telephone line many times and promised that crimes would be cooked up and false witnesses would be raised against him through the state Ministry of Justice. He added that the caller further vowed that if that step failed, he (the lawyer) would lose his life.
As the April elections draw nearer, the question on the lips of many in the state now is, “Where is Akinsola?” Reports had it that he had relocated to Lagos, where a leader of the rival Action Congress of Nigeria is ensuring his safety. But when our correspondent called his mobile telephone line on Tuesday, he claimed that he was in Ibadan.
But during the discussion, he suspected that our correspondent might decide to come to his house and he quickly added that he was travelling to Abuja immediately. His whereabouts are of concern because he still wields a big influence and can influence votes for any political party or candidate in the state. He gave a hint on this in that telephone conversation when he declared that his followers would not vote for “whoever is tormenting them.”
It is, therefore, hoped that the state government and of course the state police command would be able to manage the NURTW crisis in a manner that it will not mar elections in the state.
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