Following a recent accusation against the Chairman of the Ogun State Park Management (OGSPAM), Akeem Bodunrin, the conflict between the transport unions in Ogun State has intensified.
The Ogun State Park Management (OGSPAM) Chairman, Akeem Bodunrin, also known as Iyeru or Iyeru, was recently accused of attacking the chairman of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Akibu Titilayo or Efele.
Tiwalade Akingbade, the Ogun State RTEAN Secretary, claimed in a press conference on Friday that union members opened fire on the annual Itori Day, injuring many people in front of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Akingbade asserted “Three days ago, Mr. Akeem Bodunrin led members of his OGSPAM to attack our State Chairman, Comrade Akibu Titilayo, (a.k.a Efele) while he was in the company of the state governor at the palace of Olu of Itori, Oba AbdulFatai Akorede Akamo.
“Many of our members who accompanied our State Chairman, Efele received various degrees of injuries from the gun and machete attacks. Shots were fired directly at Comrade Akibu Titilayo who escaped by whimsical.”
Akingbade recalled that the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ogun had been banned three years prior due to a leadership conflict between Iyeru and Mustapha Ismaila (Yaro), who is currently in charge of the new Ogun State Operations Management Service (OSOMS).
Yaro was ignored until recently, when the new union was given permission to conduct ticketing in Ogun East only, whereas Iyeru had been appointed the chairman of OGSPAM back then.
Iyeru had incorrectly charged Efele with being the driving force behind the State government’s decision to establish the new Ogun State Operations Management Service and sharing OGSPAM’s week with the new union, according to Akingbade.
The OGSPAM, led by Lyeru, would operate in Ogun Central and Ogun West during the same week, while OSOMS would only operate in East Senatorial District, according to the RTEAN Secretary.
He claimed that Iyeru was not on board with this and accused him of “issuing threats to take over all parks and garages in the state from us, members of RTEAN during a one-week work that would be due from January 2, 2023.
He said, “We are informing all the security agencies, the police, DSS, NSCDC, Amotekun, So-Safe and others, the state government and the general public that we, at the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, would not sit idly, fold our arms and receive violent attacks from lyeru and hooligans,” he declared.
While calling on Iyeru to support what he called the decision of the State government, Akingbade advised him “not to allow himself to be used by the opposition party to create needles state of panic and violence in Ogun State,” especially as the elections are here.
“Iyeru went to Ita-Oshin and Kuto parks, threatening our people that he would overthrow the parks from January 2, that none of RTEAN members should come again. If someone can be bold enough to shoot where the sitting governor is present, he can do anything in the absence of the governor. We are not cowards, we just want people to call him to order. About five of our members are still in the hospital but our Chairman is doing fine,” he stated.
Iyeru responded by refuting all the claims, claiming that the RTEAN members were merely attempting to appear intelligent by speaking to the media first.
Iyeru claimed that the conflict at Itori had nothing to do with him and that he had never been in possession of a gun, let alone shot anyone, speaking through his vice chairman Jimoh Olatunbosun Ajagbe.
He claims that all of Ogun’s parks and garages are already under the control of the OGSPAM, leading her to question why he would threaten to seize control of property that is already his.
“How will you be stealing your own food?” he queried.
I am not aware of any new union created by the government in Ogun,’ he asserted, denying knowledge of the formation of any other union led by Yaro. I’m not sure why the RTEAN is making such serious accusations against us. It is unjust.
