Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered the immediate suspension of all activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in motor parks across the state as part of fresh measures aimed at restoring order and enhancing public security.
The directive was issued on Thursday after the Osun State Security Council meeting chaired by the governor, where security stakeholders reviewed the prevailing security situation and deliberated on strategies to maintain peace across the state.
The development was confirmed in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
According to the statement, the decision followed extensive discussions by members of the Security Council on the need to restore sanity to motor parks and prevent any breakdown of law and order.
Governor Adeleke directed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies operating in the state to immediately halt all activities of the NURTW in every motor park.
He, however, clarified that the order does not amount to shutting down motor parks or disrupting transportation activities.
The governor further directed that the collection of all levies in motor parks be suspended with immediate effect.
He also instructed security agencies to arrest anyone found parading as an official or executive of the NURTW in any motor park across the state.
“I hereby direct the Police and other security agencies to stop all activities of the union in all our parks across the state. I am not saying you should close the parks, but you should not allow anyone to operate in the parks in the name of the union.
“Anyone found contravening this order should be arrested for possible prosecution for disturbance of public peace,” Adeleke said.
The statement disclosed that the heads of the various security agencies present at the meeting assured the governor of their readiness to implement and enforce the directive without exception.
As part of efforts to ensure effective enforcement of the order, Governor Adeleke approved the immediate establishment of a Rapid Response Squad made up of personnel drawn from all security agencies operating within Osun State.
The squad is expected to respond swiftly to security threats and ensure strict compliance with the governor’s directive regarding activities in motor parks.
The Security Council meeting was attended by senior officials from several security organisations, including representatives of the Osun State Police Command and Zone 11 of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy.
Other agencies represented at the meeting included the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigerian Correctional Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun.
Also present were the Deputy Governor of Osun State, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters.
The state government said the latest measures are part of ongoing efforts to maintain peace, safeguard lives and property, and ensure that public spaces, including motor parks, operate in an orderly and secure manner.
