Crisis Hits RTEAN Over Purported Election By Selection

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The members of Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Lagos Branch, has worked themselves into a mess over the purported conduct of election, which had Alhaji Mohammed Musa reelected as Chairman with his executives for another five years tenure.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the purported election was organised by Alhaji Musa, who is the current chairman of the crisis hit RTEAN.

However, some of the members led by one Alhaji Sulaimon, stayed away from the kangaroo election and were said to have forrmed a parallel RTEAN with its members cut across the state.

It was gathered that trouble started when the tenure of Alhaji Mohammed Musa was coming to an end and he started compiling names before the election held on Tuesday. According to the report, on that day voters re-elected its current Chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Musa and other incumbents for another five-year term. The tenure of the current State Executive Council, led by Musa was expected to end on October, 31.

Instead of conducting a credible election, Musa reportedly wrote a list of his royalists, delegates and declared them winners. They claimed that 700 delegates attended the 11th RTEAN Lagos State Delegates’ Conference, held at RTEAN House, Lagos, and reposed confidence in the current executive.

The State Executive Council had earlier been dissolved by the National Secretary-General of RTEAN, Mr. Henry Ejiofor, on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association, before the commencement of elections.
The Chairman of the seven-man Electoral Committee, Pastor Sunday Erhahon, said that the committee had chosen the ‘election by selection’ method to elect new officers because it had been adjudged the most peaceful method.
Erhahon, who is the Edo Chairman of RTEAN, directed the Secretary of the committee, Mr. Edi Nwabeze, to reel out the names of the newly- elected officers before presenting the certificates of returns to them.
“From the screening and selection, Alhaji Mohammed Musa is re-elected as Chairman, Alhaji Aransiola Qudus, Deputy Chairman (Administration) and Alhaji Abdulraman Amusan, State Secretary” he announced.
Erhahon listed 60 other newly-elected executive members to include Mr. Omotayo Albert (Deputy Chairman, Operations), Prince Moses Yeniyo (Deputy Chairman, Logistics), Alhaji Taiwo Daudu (First Vice Chairman), and Alhaji Omotayo Ajayi (Treasurer).
Others were: Mr Bolanle Adedeji (Financial Secretary), Chief Runmonkun Ayinde (Principal Organising Secretary), Mr Jerry Oleabhiele (Social Secretary I), Mr Gbenga Kashimawo (Public Relations Officer), Mr Angulu Salami (Auditor 1) and Mr Adeshina Raji-Jafo (Ex-Officio V), among others.
The delegates took turns to commend Musa for his efforts towards returning peace to the association, stressing that putting an end to overthrow of parks, which always resulted in loss of lives and property, was his biggest achievement.
The new executives were sworn in by the association’s Legal Adviser, Mr. Chris Oshomoge-Oshomoge.
In his welcome address, Musa commended members for the trust and confidence reposed in him, saying that he would uphold the constitution, maintain peace and prioritise their welfare.
“I promise that by God’s grace, we will continue from where we stopped, in term of welfare, peace, cooperation with security agencies and other associations like NURTW.
However, some of the members did not recognize Musa and his new executives and formed new authentic RTEAN as led Sulaimon.
When P.M.EXPRESS contacted Musa over the alleged kangaroo election, his phone was switched off. Visitors were not allowed at head office over the tensed situation caused by the election.