NIGERIA- Crisis is brewing between members of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the state council of National Union of Road Transport Union (NURTW), Ibadan, Oyo State over collection of fees at motor parks in the state.

A report indicated on Monday that the state capital, and other notable cities, might be thrown into another round of bloody violence between members of both unions over fee collection.

The National Coordinator of RTEAN, Chief Gabriel Adeniyi disclosed to CEOAFRICA correspondent that the crisis was about the collection of fees in motor garages. He said RTEAN had been responsible for the collection fees in garages, until it was violently hijacked by the NURTW, through the collaboration between late Chief Lamidi Adedibu and the former Chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (a.k.a Tokyo).

According to him, NURTW have been collecting fees from vehicles at the garages, thus rendering RTEAN members useless.

Chief Gabriel Adeniyi said the right time has come for RTEAN to possess what is their original function, saying the union is ready to stop NURTW in whatever available means: "But it is now is the time to stop them (NURTW), we know they will not agree, they will result to violence and we are ready for them," he said.

Adeniyi said RTEAN was the first registered transport union in the country, having been established in 1933 by law by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Adesoji Aderemi, and Herbert Macauley and was gazetted in 1978 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, wondering why a union that came after would be dominating affairs.

"The garages were hijacked from us through violence, now we want to take what belong to us back and we will do whatever it takes". He added.

Furthermore, the RTEAN boss said Governor Abiola Ajimobi having heard of the crisis called a meeting between leaders of both union, but the meeting could not resolve the crisis and the governor had not make any pronouncement on the matter.

"What we are demanding now is for both unions to be sharing the collection of fees in garages as it is been done in other states like Ogun, Edo, Kwara, Ondo and so on," he said, calling on governor Ajimobi to quickly make a pronouncement on the issue before it get out of hand.

"We can adopt one day on and one day off as it is been done in Abeokuta and other places", he added.

The state Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the union, Mr Lekan Adetimehin also corroborated the National Coordinator, saying they should be given their right.

"We don't want violence but if that is what they want we shall give them in full", he said.

He added that even the buses that was given by the governor, they (RTEAN) were not allowed to operate it.

"The sharing formula was not even okay, we were only given 12 buses out of the 33 buses governor approved for us. The governor recognises us, if we were not recognised he won't give us the buses and even invited us for a meeting with the NURTW," he said.

Meanwhile, All effort made to get the reaction of the state Chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde (a.k.a Fele) proved abortive, as he could not be reach on his telephone line by CEOAFRICA correspondent as at press time.