Following his election as the National President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Musiliu Akinsanya (aka MC Oluomo) was sworn in at the union’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Akinsanya emerged through consensus during the Quadrennial Delegate Conference held at the Zonal Secretariat in Osogbo, Osun State, on Saturday.

Four states from the Southwest, including Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, and Ondo, participated in the election, after the position was zoned to the region by the national body.

Amidst celebratory songs, Akinsanya was escorted to the union’s national secretariat by a large crowd.

He was introduced to the National Administrative Council (NAC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) members.

Soon after, the official swearing-in ceremony began.

The union’s Legal Officer, Mercy Ibeh, conducted the ceremony.

While Akinsanya was sworn in as the national president, Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede and Akeem Adeosun were sworn in as Vice President for Southwest and Trustee, respectively.

Akinsanya expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to his election and swearing-in.

He thanked all union members and his supporters, promising to uphold the constitution of the union.

“I promised to lead the union to a greater height with the help of almighty Allah,” he said.

The new president called for peace and unity among union members, emphasizing that the welfare of the union’s members would be his top priority.

The Coalition for Land Rights Advocacy in Nigeria is preparing to sue the Federal Government over what it describes as unfair compensation payments.

In an exclusive interview with the Coalition Head, Sola Enitan, he stated that if the Minister of Works, David Umahi, does not address the group’s demands, the coalition will take legal action.

He said, “If the Minister of Works does not yield to our demands, it goes without saying that we would be going to court. The coalition would be going to court on behalf of the Project-affected persons as they have already briefed us to represent their interests.

“It should be noted that the reason why we have not gone to court is because we want to exhaust the three summonses and then we would see what the house of assembly would do. Upon the third summon, if the minister does not respond, a resolution would be done showing what the parliament wants to do.

“After the resolution phase is exhausted and the minister does not still comply, we would head to court. Unless the President compels the minister and he does the right thing, there would be no need to go to court, but if he does not do the right thing, then there would need to go to court.”

Enitan pointed out that the road project, which was purportedly presented as being in the public interest, has forcibly displaced many Nigerians, stripping them of their land, homes, and livelihoods without the provision of just, fair, and adequate compensation, as required by law.

He added, “Despite exhaustive attempts to address these issues of injustices, the government, through its agents, has shown a pattern of coercion and disregard for constitutional and legal rights.

“In the last eight months, over 65 correspondences have been sent by professional representatives of the project-affected persons to the Minister of Works, each highlighting the inadequacies and injustices within the current compensation framework. Despite these numerous communications, the minister has refused to provide a single response, not even from the legal directorate of the ministry.

“Instead, he continued to organise politically tainted stakeholder meetings where project-affected persons are subjected to bullying, shaming, and harassment by the minister, his agents, and security personnel. Many of these events have been recorded and are widely accessible on social media, underscoring the extent of hostility faced by these affected individuals under the ministerial oversight of Senator David Umahi.”

The Coalition head also noted that, under Sections 29 and 30 of the Land Use Act of 1978, the Land Use and Allocations Committee is mandated to intervene in compensation disputes, offering a platform for arbitration.

He lamented, “Yet, the Minister of Works has continuously evaded this statutory requirement, disregarding opportunities for fair dialogue and preferring to coerce, intimidate, and harass Project-Affected Persons into accepting unconscionable, unfair, and inadequate compensation.

“In their quest for justice, the PAPs have formally petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives through their lawful attorney. The Speaker of the House of Representatives assigned this case to the House Committee on Public Petitions, which has since issued two summonses and held two hearings.

“However, despite repeated invitations, the Minister of Works has refused to appear before the committee, resulting in a third summons being issued by the Chairman of the Committee on Public Petitions, Michael Etaba. This continued disregard for the legislative process exemplifies the Ministry’s disposition to justice and continued dismissal of the Project-Affected Persons’ plight.”

The coalition further called for the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

Umahi had previously stated that the compensation budget for Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway had increased from N8 billion to N18 billion. He also claimed that everyone on the compensation list for Section 1 of the coastal road should have been paid within 10 days.

However, Project-Affected Persons along the Lagos-Calabar Highway rejected the Federal Government’s N18 billion compensation offer, describing it as insufficient compared to the actual value of their properties.

One week ahead of the November 16 local government elections in Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun declared on Sunday that, based on his administration’s performance over the past five years, opposition parties are “clearly unpopular and invisible” and, therefore, stand no chance in the upcoming council elections.

The Governor added that the quality of candidates the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is fielding in the election would make it the party to beat, predicting a landslide victory across all 20 Local Government Areas in the State.

Speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Kayode Akinmade, Abiodun explained that his administration has transformed Ogun’s previously volatile political landscape, creating an environment conducive for opposition parties to operate without hindrance or intimidation.

According to him, rather than using intimidation tactics, his administration has marginalised opposition parties through sterling performance and innovative development ideas.

Governor Abiodun urged APC members in the state to show increased commitment and work together to build on the achievements of the past years, ensuring a resounding victory in the November 16 local government elections.

“With the quality of candidates our party is presenting in the forthcoming local government election, APC remains the party to beat. We have consistently and diligently made significant impacts in the lives of our people, and this is indeed our selling point.

“Without resorting to intimidation tactics against opposition parties, our administration has overshadowed them with our impactful projects, innovative ideas, and prudent governance, earning us a leading position among other states.

“It is now incumbent upon every APC member across the 20 Local Government Areas to sustain the enviable achievements our party has recorded over the past five years by showing greater commitment and working in unity for a victory come November 16,” Abiodun said.