Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has not appointed Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, as the General Manager of the Lagos Transport Parks and Garages Committee, the governor’s aide, Jubril Gawat, has said.
Gawat, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, in a post on Friday, debunked viral reports (not by The PUNCH), that the governor appointed Akinsanya, the suspended chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers Union in Lagos.
He wrote, “Kindly disregard post(s) claiming that Governor Sanwo-Olu has appointed suspended Chairman of NURTW, MC Oluomo as GM, Lagos Transport Parks and garages committee. There’s no such appointment.”
The PUNCH had reported that the national body of the union on Thursday suspended its Lagos State chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, following weeks of protracted conflict and leadership tussle.
The national body accused Akinsanya of resorting to intimidation, harassment, and assault on the newly-appointed Chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, Azeez Abiola, aka Istijabah but Akinsanya refuted the claim that he instigated members of the union to assault Abiola.
He, however, noted that the legality of the TOOAN operations in the state is a subject of a suit pending before the National Industrial Court.
Subsequently, the NURTW national body in Abuja on Thursday announced the indefinite suspension of Akinsanya for gross misconduct and directed him to hand over to his deputy.
Hours later, Akinsanya at a press conference at the NURTW Secretariat in the Agege area of the Lagos announced his withdrawal and that of lieutenants from the union.
He also asked Sanwo-Olu to take over the running of all parks and garages in the state till peace returned to the union.
Later on Thursday, Sanwo-Olu suspended the activities of NURTW from all parks and garages with immediate effect.
In the statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state, Gbenga Omotoso, the governor said, “After considering the provisions of the law, the Government hereby suspends the activities of NURTW, which must cease to operate in all parks and garages in Lagos State.
“The Government will set up a Committee to immediately take control of the parks and garages. Members of the committee will be key stakeholders in the sector.
“The Government’s position is premised on its responsibility to ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order in all parks and garages in Lagos State.”
