Posted by By GABRIEL DIKE, Osogbo on
The Osun State government has waded into the clash between the personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun State and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in which 10 Special Marshals of the commission were serious injured.
The Osun State government has waded into the clash between the personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun State and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in which 10 Special Marshals of the commission were serious injured.
The bloody clash which disrupted transport activities and also threatened the forthcoming Osun/Osogbo festival happened when members of the state chapter of the NURTW attacked the FRSC officials during a sensitisation programme aimed at reducing carnage on highways in the state.
The aggrieved members of the NURTW who were protesting alleged extortion by regular marshals of the FRSC pounced on the unsuspecting Special Marshals attacking them with dangerous weapons such as cutlasses, cudgels and amulets.
One of the injured officials, Mrs Tinuke Akintayo was beaten to a pulp with her Marshal uniform and apron drenched in her own blood. The officials were attacked at different locations in Omo-West area of Osogbo, the state capital and along Ikirun road.
Following the development, the state government summoned a meeting between the two parties to resolve the stand-off and find a lasting solution to the problem which has been brewing for a long time.
At the meeting attended by top government functionaries at the state secretariat, Abere, the two parties were given the opportunity to explain what happened with government pleading to NURTW not to withdraw their services on Monday (today).
One of the government officials at the meeting told Daily Sun that the NURTW chairman and other officials were made to understand that the FRSC were performing their job but could not give firm commitment for members of NURTW arrested during the bloody clash.
According to him, the state government enjoined the two parties to allow peace reign but that the FRSC team to the meeting were not pleased with outcome as they expected the attacked on its personnel to be condemned.
Narrating their ordeal, the Coordinator of the Special Marshals, Mr Tunde Ajiboye said the campaign was part of a national programme organised to sensitise motorists on the need to reduce carnage on the roads.
His words: 'It beats my imagination that we spend our money, our spare time and our resources to educate these people only for them to just attack us unjustly. We were attacked at two separate points at Omo West and along Ikirun road where we were trying to rescue victims of a multiple accident that just took place.'
On allegation of extortion levelled by the state chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Tomori Olugbodi against men of the FRSC, Ajiboye described such allegation as "a blantant lie".
"Even if they have such allegations, I think the best thing is to protest to the appropriate quarters and not take law into their hands by attacking our men. Moreover, we are not even regular marshals, we are just volunteers. The attack shows their level of reasoning. We are trying to protect their lives and it is ironical they are plotting to terminate us" he stressed.
The NURTW chairman had shortly before the attack threatened that members of the union would withdraw their vehicles from the roads from Monday over alleged extortion of money from them by the officers of the FRSC.
The NURTW boss noted that his members would resist indiscriminate and fathom charges by men of the FRSC adding that "the FRSC should be seriously warned before turning Osun State to a theatre of war".
A senior police officer at Dugbe Police Station in Osogbo, confirmed the arrest of some members of the NURTW in connection with the incident.