Confusion rocks Taraba NURTW over imposition of officials by some State Assembly members

Emmanuel Awari,
Jalingo

The National Union of Road Transport Workers in Taraba is in crisis following interference by some state lawmakers in the election of branch officials of Sabon-Gida Takai of Gassol local government.

Attempt by the State officials to inaugurate already elected officials of Sabon-gida branch officials turned to confusion when a member representing Gassol 1 in the State Assembly Hon. Abdullahi Musa Abubakar, allegedly mobilized soldiers to the venue to disrupt officials from Sabon-gida branch.

A Stakeholder of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Mukhtari Ajuji disclose this while briefing Journalists in jalingo on the action of chasing him and his members out of the Union.

“I have been the Secretary, Heavy Trucks for over Thirty One years. We have never seen what happened today.

“The Union (National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW), is for Drivers, it is our Union, is that not so?

“What happened today is that, we were called to be inaugurated, but after reaching here, we were told that the member representing Gassol 1, Hon. Abdullahi Musa Abubakar brought a team of soldiers and insisted that his supporters who are not members of our union must be inaugurated as officials.

“The Union Officials told us that they got directives from the Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly and the Member representing Gassol 1 State Constituency Hon. Abdullahi Musa Abubakar that our group has been sacked from the Union that we should go and look for another union to join.

“I asked, what is the reason?, they told me that the Member representing Gassol 1 State Constituency, Hon. Abdullahi Musa Abubakar
complained to them that I and my members should leave the Union and he will replace us with members of his interest.

According to him, this is the first time he is experiencing such a development.

“We have 66 Branches in the state, and others were inaugurated successfully, but that of Sabon Gida Takai was not inaugurated.

On any action to be taken against the Union, he said:

“We will not take any action against the Union, for there are many Unions to join.

“We have been sacked, so we have to look for another union to join.

“We have National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and Road Transport Employees ( TREAM), so we will join any of them.

He appreciated Allah for seeing him through out his tenure of many years and completed successfully.

This meddling led to crisis between members, thugs and the security agencies, injuring some of the members. A victim, Abazarri Mukhtari Ajuji shared his experience.

“The Member representing Gassol 1 State Constituency brought thugs to come and disrupt the Sabon Gida Takai inauguration of Officials.

“He threatened to take away my life, but Allah protected me.

“I was macheted and stabbed several times with bottle and knives.

“We are on our feet to defend our members and people of Sabon Gida Takai.

Another victim, Jibrin Suleiman, former Assistant Secretary, Sabon Gida Takai Branch, said:

“We paid money to the Union, only for the Union to call us that our member representing Gassol 1 State Constituency have interest in the Union, but we said, this is a union affairs, how come a Member of State House of Assembly who is not a member of the Union would decide what should be done?.

“The Union Officials told us that we should be patient because the government has interest.

“Inauguration of other Branches were all successful, but that of our Branch (Sabon Gida Takai) was not called. When we approached them, we were told if we have anyway to challenge government interest, we should go ahead and do so.

“We were reliably informed by some of our members that the Union Officials collected money from the Member representing Gassol 1 State Constituency, but we have no proof to that.

“We were chased out of the Hall which we were to be inaugurated. There were thugs suspected to be hired by the Member representing Gassol 1 State Constituency, which some of them threatened to kill one of us, but Allah protected him.

“If the Member wants to show power of the government, we will show him that Sabon Gida Takai is our town and we will do what we can ” – he said.

All efforts by our correspondent to speak with the member representing Gassol 1 constituency Hon. Abdullahi Musa Abubakar and the state officials of the Union failed as they all declined to comment on the matter.