y by the different factions
of the Ika South Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW,
on Saturday March 5, 2011 reared its ugly head, when a faction of the Tipper
Drivers Union in the area, were allegedly attacked by another faction suspected
to be loyal to the current leadership in the local government.
When Ika
Weekly got to the scene of the attack, two vehicles, an army colour
Mercedes Benz 190, with registration number AL 192 AGB and a brown 505 Peugeot car, with registration
number CE 360 LSR were seen with their front and back windscreens, windows and
headlamps shaltered. Also destroyed were about four motorcycles with
registration numbers OK 402 AGB, QC 737 AKU, AN 1482GD and DR 7213Y, which were
smashed.
Speaking to Ika
Weekly the vice chairman of the Tipper Park, Comrade Daniel Itoro said
“we were in a meeting when suddenly we saw a tipper load of youngmen, who on
alighting from the truck attacked us with weapons ranging from cutlasses, axe,
iron rods and woods. They inflicted serious bodily injury on some of us
including myself (removing his shirt to show the injuries
on his body). They smashed my car and deflated the four tyres. They cut
one of our members, Mr. Ijenwere on the head. They even took our money”.
On the reason for
the attack, Comrade Itoro explained that it has to do with their decision not
to work that day as according to him” the owner of the borrow pit, where
we collect sand lost his wife and we set
aside that day to pay him a condolence visit, that may have informed the attack”
The vice chairman,
who said that the matter has been
reported to the police called on the state and Ika South Local government to
without further delay wade into the
recurring crisis in the Ika South chapter of the NURTW. He suggested that the leadership
of the union be taken from the two opposing factions and handed over to neutral
people as that according to him is the only immediate solution to the crisis
situation that continues to rare its ugly head in the area.Comrade Itoro while
calling on his members to remain calm and not to the take law into their hands
disclosed that they are not part of the
NURTW.
Also speaking, the
chief security officer to the Ika South Council chairman, Mr. Sunny Ibude, who
told Ika
Weekly that he was the owner of the piece of land where the tipper park
is located, lamented the incessant crisis involving members of the NURTW in Ika South and called on the
government to find a lasting solution to it.
In his words “We
were in the landlords meeting in my house when somebody called to inform me
that there was problem at the tipper park. When I got to the place I did
not meet anybody except the police, I saw damaged cars, chairs, motorcycles and
other items. Even those selling food and drink were not spared in the attack. I
was also told that about three persons were seriously injured. I was made to
understand that the Amechi camp and his
group were responsible for the attack. I am however begging the Federal, State and local
government to come to the aid of the people of Ika South, as our lives are no
longer safe due to unceasing crisis orchestrated by the leadership of NURTW in
the area. The struggle for power is getting out of hand and I am advising
government to remove those behind this crisis. Infact, Amechi and Araro should
be removed from the leadership. Let an entirely new leadership be constituted
for the sake of peace and safety of our people. National Union is not a do or
die affair. These people have destroyed
enough, in their quest for power, Houses have been destroyed and lives
wasted”.
Mr. Sunday, a
driver whose tipper was also touched, explained that it was where he has
servicing his tipper, far away from the park, that the rampaging NURTW members
went to destroy it. While explaining
that he does not have any problem with anybody, he called on the
government to take immediate action to avoid further crisis.
Two ladies who work
in the park, Stella and Goodness corroborated the story, and informed Ika
Weekly that they lost valuables, worth thousands of naira and physical cash of over two
hundred thousand naira to the attack.
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