DON’T ALLOW RUTHLESS LEADERSHIP IN OYO ROAD TRANSPORT UNION, STUDENTS WARN GOVERNOR MAKINDE

The students’ body also called on the Governor to consider security of Oyo State Students and other residents in any decision he is to take about the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairmanship position.

Penpushing recalled that, the National President of the Nigerian Medical Students Association, Mr. Auwal Shanono, was one of the unlucky victims that were killed during the June 4, 2011 violence by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Ibadan, the deceased until his death was a 500-level Medical Student of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The students leader stated that there is a need for Governor to think deep in appointing the Chairman of the union in the State to avoid breakdown of law and order, adding, “some of the tussles in the past have claimed many innocent lives’.

‘The negative effects of the June 4, 2011 leadership battle cum factional clashes by a forceful takeover attempt by some elements purportedly led by Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi a.k.a Auxiliary and Alhaji Lateef Akinsola a.k.a Tokyo remain indelible in the minds of those who lost their relatives, friends and Medical Students union to unfortunate incident that killed one of us, the National President of the Nigerian Medical Student Association, Mr. Auwal Shanono’.

Penpushing further reports that, Oke noted there is no way students can do without transportation system, adding that if an area is malfunctioning in the State, it will definitely affects students in the State.

“It is our right to advise the government either direct or indirectly, Governor Seyi Makinde should think twice and be careful in picking anybody as the NURTW Chairman, because if the person is not good, it will affect the entire students in the State. “Nobody sponsored us; our own is just to advise the Government on issues relating to student welfarism in the State, what happened in 2011 crisis which was led by ‘Auxiliary’ should not happen again’ ,he emphasised.

“This unfortunate incident would have repeated itself few months ago at various parks in the State if not for the immeasurable discretion of Governor Makinde to curtail the rising tension. In as much as political neutrality of the students union cannot be ruled out, it won’t equally make it be a party to leadership that poses a serious threat to the security of lives and property in the State’

‘Any individual, irrespective of their status or affiliation, with criminal records, is not suitable to assume a leadership position in any State governed by the dictates of the law. Any person that will be the Chairman should be a person of clear record, because making a wrong appointment from one of the warring camps may further heat the already calm polity.”

“We advise the Governor to think twice before choosing the union leadership because of security threat the State has witnessed in the past, we commend the first few weeks of the Governor assumption of office, it is obvious that the people of Oyo State did not make the wrong choice of his leadership.It is highly commendable as you doused the tension and insecurity that has heightened as a result of the recent leadership crisis of the union.”