This is my story

The environment at the Olomi area secretariat of the Oyo State purportedly proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, can be likened to a war situation. Stern-looking union members were scattered around the area in groups and it was easy to see and smell hidden weapons all over the place.

Shops in the immediate vicinity were firmly locked while equally tough looking women were seen dolling out wraps of smoke to their men who cared for.
There were dozens of badly damaged and even burnt commuter buses and exotic cars around the secretariat, including the carcass of a state of the art Lexus Sports Utility Van said to be the official car of the factional leader of the union, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola, a.k.a. Tokyo. In a sense Tokyo has truly gone underground but Vanguard eventually located his hideout and gave him the opportunity to tell his story.
HOW it all started: I knew
Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala as far back as when he was ADC to the Area Commander of Iwo police station. Then I was in charge of Iwo road and Agodi motor parks.
Even on the day of his compulsory retirement I provided the lorry that carried his belongings to Ogbomosho, free of charge. He later became the chairman of Ogbomosho Local Government and I supported him by campaigning for him to reach that position.
During Ladoja’s regime as Governor of Oyo State, I was detained by that administration which led to Ladoja’s removal by Ibadan indigenes, particularly late Baba Ariyibi Adedibu and they put Akala there as governor.
On Gov Akala’s second coming
I worked for him as friend and campaigned for him throughout Oyo State. I led the campaign in every local government and he eventually won. I adopted Lateef Salako in 1989 as my body guard, there were three of them working as my bodyguard: Saka Owo, Salako and one Sir K. (Note that Lateef Salako adopted Eleweomo as his nickname because of his namesake in Mushin that was popular by that name.)
After two to three years, I gave Salako the  vice chairmanship position for Itutaba garage. Afterwards  I promoted him as branch chairman of Ibadan North_East minibus section of the NURTW. I was re_elected in 2008 as state chairman of NURTW and I gave him first vice chairman at state level.
Last year June, he caused fracas between himself and some members at Agodi motor park. Then I was at a meeting in Abuja with my state secretary, Comrade Lekan Aleshinloye, and other national officers.
During that meeting, Governor Akala called to inform me that some people were causing problem and I told him Salako was responsible and the governor promised to call him to order.
The governor’s conversation leaked to National President of the Union, Late Alhaji Gidado Hamman who instructed me to query Salako immediately. I, therefore, queried him.
I got a call from Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Bolanta, who wanted to know what had happened and I promised him of an amicable settlement. The CP sent for me and when I got there, he sent for Salako.
Salako refused to come even after the CP sent his assistant in charge of operations to call him. He eventually turned up after keeping everybody waiting for more than seven hours. The CP asked him about the reason for the fight and some members at Agodi motor park that he fought with similar questions.
The CP asked all of us executives to make statements which I and my secretary declined to do since we were not involved in the fight. The Assistant Commissioner of Police at Iyaganku kept us till 10.00 p.m. while the governor said we should be released and brought to his home.
We told the governor what happened and he appealed to us not to fight. I said I couldn’t fight Salako and added that it was Salako who was fond of fighting innocent people. I gave copies of the query issued to Salako to the CP and the governor.
Eventually, Salako answered the query in a  nonchalant manner, and I asked why he answered the query so. After the query on June 6, we heard an announcement on the radio to the effect that two security guards attached to Salako’s house were killed overnight.
I went to his house with my executives and my wife and members to commiserate with him. There, some of his people alleged that I was the one that sent gunmen to kill the security guards.


Police came from Iyaganku twice, to say myself and members of my executive were under arrest for God knows what.
We went to Ogbomosho to see Governor Akala who did not come back home until late. We slept there and second day went to the house of the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Rasaki Gbadegesin, who asked why we were paying Salako N15,000 monthly. We clarified that except for me that takes home N20,000, all others take N15,000, though Salako was joint chairman of minibus in Ibadan and environment then.
The Deputy Chief of Staff took our statements in his laptop and took the laptop to the governor’s house. He promised to settle everything amicably.
Surprisingly, the following day as I was trying to rest after the tiring journey to Ogbomosho about 1000 policemen surrounded my house. I called the governor who did not answer; I also called Salako, who said they would evacuate the policemen shortly which was not done.
The policemen damaged my doors, so I opened the house for them. They damaged my room, handcuffed my hands and legs, carried two of my executive cars and locked me in the cell.
They thereafter took me to SARS, blind folded and dumped me in another cell. They made me incommunicado. I then knew it was planned by the governor.
Three days after my arrest, police accompanied Salako to break the door to my office proclaiming himself chairman of the union. After two and a half months in detention, I was released on August 15 on bail.
Salako had, by then, sent all my delegates away from the motor parks. The governor sent for national officers from Abuja, to swear in Salako as State Chairman but when they came they made him acting chairman, that is someone who was number five to me in hierarchy.
After a week, Abuja wrote that they had approved Salako as substantive chairman.
We took the case to industrial court, and I won after10 months.
I went with my lawyer to the  former Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, who gave instruction to Bolanta, but the said CP refused to reinstate me after five days.
After the seventh day, we sought for ballif to follow me to my office. The following day, we moved to various motor parks, but the day after, Bloanta sent his men to drive my men again from the parks. They killed one of my men at Academy motor park.
We started sleeping in the office to forestall Salako and his men from forcefully taking over the office again.
However on September 15, they came in the night between1.00 a.m and 4.00 a.m, damaging 83 vehicles, including my Lexus jeep. They also damaged union property, killing another member, Taiyelolu Raji. The CP has refused to arrest anybody till now.
At Sanyo police station, the Divisional Police Officer and his Crime Officer wrote a report on what actually happened and the CP  removed them for saying the truth.
Revocation of our secretariat C of O
Recently, the governor said he has revoked the Certificate of Occupancy of our Olomi office. He brought about 1,000 policemen with three armoured Personnel Carriers to paste the revocation paper on the gate.
The revocation came after we got the judgment that reinstated us from the Industrial Arbitration Court. We then went back to court against the revocation and the reported plan to pull down the edifice, because we believe in the rule of law.
On Akala’s possible second term: I am a unionist, not a politician – just that we have sympathy for PDP because of Baba Adedibu and former President Obasanjo.
Gov’s appeal to GOC to treat NURTW as outcasts: I believe the GOC is a learned professional soldier who cannot dabble into union matters.
Allegation of plans to eliminate him: I heard from reliable sources that the governor wants to eliminate me and police has refused to give me security, that is why I decided to leave the town for them.
On Salako’s response to his allegation: He has dead sense. All the problems in Ibadan and environs, for the past 20 years were caused by Salako and one Mukaila Auxillary.
For example he was the one that went to damage Ladoja’s office when he was impeached He also damaged properties of  Pellyfoam Industries at Dugbe Alawo.
Support from Ibadan indigenes: I am too small to belong to the group of Ibadan indigenes but they have sympathised with me because the governor has disallowed the rule of law to work in this state.
On his continued stay in the office: It’s to forestall attack by Salako and his men. We actually moved from my  house at Akinbo to our old house  in the Olomi area also to forestall possible attack.
After proscription: They told police to remove us from motor parks, and that the local governments should be controlling the parks. However, they went through the back door and registered Salako and his men as managers of the parks.
source:vanguard

Posted: at 6-11-2010 05:08 PM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

too long

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Posted: at 7-11-2010 10:25 PM (13 years ago) | Hero

In this 21st century union is controlling transport, that is an avenue for chaos and blood shed which will never end. I don't think there is any country in this world where the union is in control of transport. The government is supposed to be in control and then privatise it for better performance. Thank God Governor Fashola has started it in Lagos, lets hope it succeeds.

Posted: at 8-11-2010 03:03 AM (13 years ago) | Upcoming