NIDOE warns general public against dealing with self-acclaimed caretaker committee
By Cyriacus Nnaji
Leadership of Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation, Europe otherwise known as NIDOE has warned the general public against dealing with those who claimed to be caretaker committee of the same organization.
In a press statement signed by the entire Central Executive Committee, NIDOE disclosed that it assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for any loss or damage of whatever nature should anyone en. NIDOE said “The organisation assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for any loss or damage of whatever nature (direct, indirect, consequential, or other), whether arising in contract, tort, law, or otherwise, which may arise from any deal with these individuals.”
The statement also said the spurious caretaker committee which has such names as Alhaji Issa Abdullahi, Ms Vire Komolafe, Dr Onyebuchi Egbuchunam, Mr Kalu Okoroafor, Ms Afolasade Ope, Ms Busola Agboola and Mr Valentine Owodu, parading themselves as the executives (Caretaker) of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) was neither elected by the financial members of the group nor has it any backing of the law.
The release further averred that no one should pay money into whatever account emanating from the group. “These persons are impersonators and do not represent the organisation. No one should pay any money to a spurious bank account presented by these elements. The organisation assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for any loss or damage of whatever nature (direct, indirect, consequential, or other), whether arising in contract, tort, law, or otherwise, which may arise from any deal with these individuals.
The statement was signed by the Board of Directors NIDO Europe that include Chairman, Dr Bashir ObasekolaVice Chairman, Ctzn Omusa Ohyoma; General Secretary Mr Michael Otogo; Legal adviser, Ursula Atueyi-Nwosu; IT officer Mr Fidel O Wilson; Liaison Officer, Adeyemi Aderemi; Welfare and Social, Ms Rosemary Onwugbonu; Finance Officer, Mr Rex Essenowo, PRO/DEPUTY National Secretary, Mr Caius Eze.
It would be recalled that the crisis rocking NIDOE was occasioned by the 2024 election preparations when the Electoral Committee, Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation (NIDOE) in alignment with Article 64 of the NIDOE Constitution, issued election guidelines to all NIDOE chapters. However, the UK-South (UKS) chapter deviated from these protocols, and decided to rely on its own internal convention guidelines favouring specific candidates. Of course according to the constitution of NIDOE, this deviation contradicted Articles 13.1, 13.4, and 47.5 of the NIDOE Constitution.
However, following a petition from Pastor Peters Omoragbon to the Electoral Committee (EC) NIDOE backed by other 34 UKS members and the three excluded candidates, explaining how unfairly the nomination process has been conducted in UK-South. The Electoral Committee (EC) of NIDOE verified the complaints and urged the UK South chapter to conduct a free and fair primary election among the financial members to choose amongst the 5 nominees.
In its intervention and resolution, the Board of Trustees (BOT) relied on Article 48.4, to direct the UKS chapter to reinstate the three expelled candidates, issue formal apologies for their unwarranted exclusion from the chapter, and then conduct a transparent primary election in line with the democratic norms entrenched in NIDOE’s constitution.
But rather than do all these, the disgruntled group, the Renegade NIDO UKS Executive Committee, has continue in disobedience to rule of law, in collaboration with non-financial members from few chapters of NIDOE, who believed that the Electoral Committee shouldn’t have paid attention to the petitions being written by the contestants from UKS, but rather concentrated on just organisation of the electoral process. They then requisitioned an Emergency General Meeting (EGM). However the point was clear in a letter from NIDOE dated 09/10/2024, indicating that the requisitioned EGM lacked any constitutional basis and violated Articles 56, 57.4, and 48.4 of the NIDOE Constitution regarding the procedures for such a meeting. Without the BOT’s sanction, such an EGM is termed invalid. These actions risk the unity and integrity of NIDOE as a democratic institution representing Nigeria across Europe.
