THE national body of Butchers Union Of Nigeria has announced the appointment of a 12-member caretaker committee for the Lagos Branch of the Union pending the election for new executive members at a date to be soon specified.
The appointment of the committee was conveyed in a letter, signed by Alhaji Biliaminu Elesinmeta, Southwest Zonal and Kwara State Coordinator, to the Commissioner of Agriculture Lagos State and made available to newsmen.
The letter reads, “I write to convey the warm wishes of National Butchers Union of Nigeria to you and to inform you that after the expiration of the state executive Committee of Lagos chapter of our union being headed by Alhaji Kazeem Bamidele, the national body which has the sole authority to elect of select as the case maybe had set up these members from Lagos chapter to oversee the affairs of the union in the state as Caretaker Committee pending the election for new executives to be conducted.
“The members include; Elder Shola Adetele as Chairman, Onifade Dauda, Olanrewaju Aremu as Secretary, Akanji Okedara, Lukmon Adeyemo, Yakubu Shehu, Wasiu Akowo, Samad, Akintoye Rasak, Taofeek Abolade, Yaro Musibau, Arigbabuwo Kazeem.”
Alhaji Elesinmeta, while making further clarifications, stated that “The committee was quickly put in place to ensure sanity, peace and transparency in the coming election in the Lagos State Chapter of the union and we have taken drastic steps by informing the Nigeria Police Zone 2 Command, Lagos to forestall any negative action from the immediate Chairman or his cohorts.
“The Lagos branch of the union was rocked by many challenges during and after the tenure of Alhaji Bamidele Kazeem Alabi led administration, with threats and plans by him and his followers to make the Union ungovernable to the appointed committee members. He also vowed to do everything possible not to allow election to take place except the imposition of his own choice officials.
“After the completion of his tenure Alhaji Kazeem Bamidele who was the immediate chairman refused to leave the post and to handover to a successor. He decided to go against the rules of the union which is to step down after the completion of his tenure.
“All effort by the members to convince him to step down from the position proved abortive. He initially acted as if he had stepped down, but went ahead to appoint his own committee which is against the rules of the union.
“The Union had issued an official directive earlier, requiring Alhaji Kazeem Bamidele to step down from his position after finishing his second term in office. This is aside the issues of bad governance, allegations of misconduct, high-handedness, financial misappropriation among other actions inimical to the good name of the Union and the office of the National Butchers Union of Nigeria.
“The National Union for the sake of peace has decided to wade in by setting up the Caretaker Committee which comprises of a Chairman, Secretary and ten members with Elder Shola Adetele as the Authentic Interim Chairman with effect from Monday 29, July 2024, and they will conduct elections to bring in suitable candidates for the progress of the Union in Lagos State.”
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