Akinsanya’s Media Aide, Jimoh Buhari, made this known in a chat with The PUNCH on Wednesday while reacting to the purported sacking of his principal.

According to him, members of the Tajudeen Baruwa-led NURTW caucus in Abuja are comedians who claimed to sack Akinsanya who already pulled out of the union on March 10, 2022.

He said, “The so-called sacking of my boss makes no difference. NURTW has already been suspended in Lagos and the state government has said that it would appoint park managers in the state.

So, the appointment of a new Lagos chairman by NURTW is baseless. The union has already been suspended. Is the union more powerful than the state government? Of course, no.

“Also, my boss (MC Oluomo) already pulled out of the NURTW since March 10, 2022, at a well-publicised press briefing in Agege. So, how would the Baruwa-led Abuja caucus claim it has sacked someone who already dissociated himself from the union? It is like sacking a worker who resigned and left a company after one month. It is laughable and senseless.”

Following the crisis rocking the union, Akinsanya pulled out in March after his suspension by the national leadership of the NURTW.

He also asked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take over the running of all parks and garages in the state till peace returned to the union.

Sanwo-Olu later suspended the activities of NURTW from all parks and garages with immediate effect and set up a committee to take control of the parks and garages but he was yet to do so after one month.

The NURTW had also been suspended in Ondo, Oyo and some other South-West states due to intractable leadership crises.

According to a 2021 report by the International Centre for Investigative Report, the Lagos chapter of NURTW generates about N123.08bn annually, which could service the annual budget of Nasarawa, Niger, and Yobe states put together.

Buhari stated this while reacting to a viral letter by the NURTW national leadership in Abuja reportedly suspending MC Oluomo as Lagos chair.

The letter dated March 9, 2022 and signed by NURTW General Secretary, Kabiru Yau, said MC Oluomo has been suspended indefinitely for gross misconduct amongst other offences. Yau subsequently directed MC Oluomo to hand over to his deputy.

But Buhari said that his principal has not received any letter to the effect of the reported suspension.

He said, “As far as we are concerned, we are not aware of the suspension because we have not received any letter from the national leadership.A leader of an organisation cannot be suspended on social media.MC Oluomo is going into a meeting at the moment and he is going to chair the meeting. He remains Lagos NURTW chair.”

Among other allegations in the query dated February 14, 2022, Akinsanya was also accused of resorting to intimidation, harassment, and assault on the newly-appointed Chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria, Azeez Abiola, aka Istijabah.

In his response, Akinsanya, who said he had successfully complied with his oath of office, refuted the claim that he instigated members of the union to assault Abiola

He, however, noted that the legality of the TOOAN operations in the state is a subject of a suit pending before the National Industrial Court.

Akinsanya also refuted claims of engaging in acts of insubordination and anti-union activities in the state.