‘I Sponsored MC Oluomo To Become Lagos NURTW Chairman But He…’ Istijabah Speaks

The displaced Lagos State Chairman of Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Abiola aka Istijabah speaks with Mojisola Lawal on the appointment of park management committee by the Lagos State Government and crisis rocking the NURTW Lagos State chapter.

What is responsible for the recurring violent clashes between members of TOOAN and NURTW?

Basically, it is all battle for the control of Lagos Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria (TOOAN). It’s about the chairmanship of the Tricycle union in Lagos State. TOOAN was formed in 1998 during the military administration of General Buba Marwa of Lagos State.
TOOAN has its State Chairman which is independent of the NURTW.
Between then and now, TOOAN has had six State Chairmen with the last State Chairman before my appointment being Alhaji Murtala Lawal popularly known as Epo. Mr Joseph Odusanya was the State Chairman of TOOAN before Alhaji Lawal.

Before my appointment as the State Chairman by the national president of NURTW, I was Vice-State Chairman of TOOAN. Everything was moving on smoothly until Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya also known as MC Oluomo became the State Chairman of the Lagos NURTW.
The first he did was to dissolve the State Executive Committee of TOOAN with the hope that he would appoint new committee to manage the affairs of TOOAN but he never did.
Rather, he unbundled TOOAN into five zones and appointed a coordinator for each of the zones. I was appointed as one of the coordinators. This was the beginning of the crisis and frequent clashes we experienced between members of TOOAN and NURTW.

Disturbed by the development, I made frantic efforts to seek redress. I challenged his decision to divide TOOAN into zones. So also the BOT of TOOAN, they confronted him that he had no such power and right to divide TOOAN because Lagos NURTW, like TOOAN is just an affiliate of the NURTW. He has no right to the mechanism of the union but he stuck to his decision and appointed his ‘boys’ from Oshodi as coordinators of TOOAN.
Our elders that the board of trustees reported him to the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation but there was no response from the ministry. And they headed to the National body of the NURTW calling for their intervention.
The national president of NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa invited the BOT of TOOAN, State Executive members of TOOAN and MC Oluomo for a discussion.

We narrated our plights and they instructed him to hands off the issues of TOOAN while we continue to pay our dues and buy our tickets from the Lagos NURTW.
After this, they asked the TOOAN BOT who they wanted as their State Chairman and I was chosen as the State chairman with a strict instruction that I work with the other four coordinators appointed by MC Oluomo.
They mandated me to include the four coordinators of TOOAN appointed by MC Oluomo in the list of State Executive of TOOAN while I remain the chairman. We felt the issue has been settled and we returned to Lagos to continue to work together.
But on getting to Lagos, another round of crisis brewed as MC Oluomo kicked against the decision of the national body. He insisted that there is not going to be two State chairmen during his tenure.
He said TOOAN and MOALS which is Okada riders’ association would not have State Chairman under his tenure and that the two unions must be under his control.

He insisted that once his tenure is over, we can appoint whosoever we desire as State chairman for TOOAN and MOALS. This culminated into the faceoff between TOOAN and NURTW until he announced his exit from the NURTW.

What did you think is responsible for your rejection by MC Oluomo as Chairman of TOOAN? Does it have anything to do with you belonging to the faction of former State Chairman, Tajudeen Agbede who is known as an arch enemy of MC Oluomo?

I don’t think so. Even if it has anything to do with factions, why don’t they appoint another person from another faction as chairman? This goes to tell you that the issue on ground goes beyond belonging to either of the factions. I was appointed by the national NURTW not as a factional chairman.
And talking about faction, I am a matured mind. I don’t belong to any faction. I run things as objective as I can as the State Chairman of TOOAN. I ensure I strike balance in my relationship between Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede and MC Oluomo.
There was never a time I pitched my tent with one against the other. I knew and recognised Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede as the State Chairman and Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya as the State Treasurer. And I accord each of them the respect and honour that was due to them.
I am not in the class of young and immature unionists that go about assaulting people on the ground of the faction they belong. I maintain cordial relationship between Agbede and MC Oluomo when the former was State chairman and the latter State treasurer and I give each of them their dues.
Also during the time of chairmanship struggle of MC Oluomo, I was one of his sponsors. I spent my resources to support his aspiration. Also, when Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede aspired for the national presidency of the NURTW, I spent my money to support his aspiration too. The only person I could say I didn’t sponsor was the current national chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Baruwa and that was because I didn’t have any personal relationship with him. We were not close then.

If you allegedly supported MC Oluomo to become the State chairman of NURTW, how did both of you fell apart?

I would say it has to do with his unguided exertion for power and influence. It was all about his move to make one of his allies, known as Pappy Kamoli, the State Chairman of TOOAN.
He had promised Pappy that he would make him the State chairman of TOOAN just as he made Kazeem, popularly known as ‘Water’ the State Chairman of MOALS.
So, in order to fulfil his promises, he was bent on removing me from office using every means possible. But the BOT is telling him that this cannot be possible because anyone that is a delegate at the State executive must be the chairman of TOOAN.
I have been in the state executive of the national union and as a delegate; it is not possible to choose another person to become the chairman of TOOAN except me but MC Oluomo is bent on making Pappy Kamoli as chairman of TOOAN.

Following the suspension of MC Oluomo by the national body of the NURTW, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu appointed a 25-man committee to manage parks and garages across the State. As the State Chairman of TOOAN and a stakeholder in the transport sector, it is expected that you would make the list but this was not to be, why is this?

It points to the complicity between the Lagos State Government and MC Oluomo. There is no two way to it. It is pure injustice. And they are not being honest with themselves.
At the State Executive Council, we are 18 members. But I wonder why the Lagos State Government would appoint 16 out of the 18 members into the management committee of Lagos Parks and Garages.
It may interest you to know that all the 16 persons appointed were allies of MC Oluomo. I am one of the stakeholders in the transport sector in the State but my name including the name of the State secretary was omitted on the list released by the Lagos State government.
Instead, they included all manners of character that knew nothing about the operation of transport sector to make up the 25 names listed in the committee.

Who draw the list, Lagos State government or MC Oluomo?

If you have seen the list, you would know that it was drawn by MC Oluomo. He made the list to include his allies and unfortunately, the Lagos State government approved of it.
How could the Lagos state government present itself as a mediator but ended up being on the side of a party in the dispute? This isn’t fair.

Now that activities of the Lagos NURTW have been suspended and Parks and Garages Committee has taken over, what’s the future of NURTW in the state?

No matter how long it takes, NURTW will resume its activities. No one can proscribe the activities of the NURTW. It is an affiliate of the NLC. There is no law banning the NURTW just as the State law cannot outweigh the constitution of the country.

What’s your next move, are you considering seeking redress in the court of law?

If I would be heading to the court on NURTW matters that depends on the decision of the national headquarters because I was appointed by the national body.
Therefore it is only the national body that has the right to direct the path to follow on whether to head to court to seek redress or not. But on my personal property that were destroyed by MC Oluomo and his boys, I will definitely be heading to court. I must seek redress for the injustice.

When was your property destroyed?

When MC Oluomo was announced as park manager, his boys took to garages and parks destroying my property. The Lagos State didn’t instruct them to chase those that were there out but instead of calling us to discuss the handing over procedures, MC Oluomo never did. He sent his boys out to take control of all garages and in the process they damaged my property.

Who is currently in charge of TOOAN activities in Lagos state?

It’s MC Oluomo. About 90 per cent of TOOAN is under his control and this is because he threatened to kill any member that pledges allegiance to my leadership. When I was on lesser hajj in Makkah, MC Oluomo attacked my fuel station and destroyed it.
Similarly, he destroyed my commercial buses. He shattered glasses of any bus they see my picture on it. Just last week, the number of my tricycles they destroyed was countless.
We have been peaceful and law abiding. My members are non-violent and they are not responsible for the recurring clashes. MC Oluomo and his boys are behind the crisis being reported in the media. We are peace loving.

What step has the national body of the NURTW taken to resolve the crisis?
They are seriously working on it, that I can assure you. They are making effort to resolve the crisis and hopefully, it would be resolved very soon.

Views: 0