The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) have constituted a Transition Committee following the dissolution of the former Central Executive Council (CEC) and Electoral Committee (EC).
The former Central Executive Council (CEC) and Electoral Committee (EC) were led by Dr. Bashir Obasekola and Mr. Ayodele Adesina, respectively.
The Public Relations Officer of the Committee, Folashade Ope, in a statement issued to Tribune Online on Friday morning, said the committee was constituted at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, 9th November 2024.
Ope said the General House voted to streamline the Caretaker Committee into a 5-Member Transition Committee: Chairman: Alhaji Issa Abdullahi (Switzerland), Vice Chairman: Vire Komolafe (Ireland), General Secretary: Dr. Onyebuchi Egbuchunam (Germany), Financial Officer: Busola Agboola (Netherlands), and Public Relations Officer: Folashade Ope (UK South).
According to her, the Transition Committee has secured the support of 16 out of 23 accredited chapters across Europe and embarked on its mandate to sanitise and stabilise NIDOE’s operations.
Speaking on the measures the Committee initiated, the PRO noted that efforts are underway to reconcile and stabilise chapters that became disillusioned under the previous administration.
She pointed out that there will be the establishment of the Qualification Criteria Committee, Financial Regulation Committee, Legal Committee, Media and Publicity Committee, Financial Reform Committee, and Election Planning Committee.
Meanwhile, she warned all Nigerians in the Diaspora, Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs) of the Nigerian Government, and international partners to engage exclusively with the legally constituted Transition Committee.
“The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) has entered a new phase of robust reform and transparent governance under a legally constituted Transition Committee, following an extraordinary turn of events.
“The dissolution of the former Central Executive Council (CEC) and Electoral Committee (EC), led by Dr Bashir Obasekola and Mr Ayodele Adesina, respectively, has been necessitated by widespread electoral malpractices, financial improprieties, and flagrant disregard for organisational ethics.
“An EGM was legally convened on Saturday, 26th October 2024, in full compliance with the UK Companies Act 2006 (Sections 302-305), EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards, and European Convention on Human Rights (Article 11: Freedom of Assembly and Association), and members in attendance overwhelmingly voted with more than 95% on each occasion to pass various resolutions.
“Also at the same meeting, the General House passed a vote of no confidence on the former CEC and the EC, respectively: dissolution of the CEC led by Dr Obasekola and the EC led by Mr Adesina; suspension of the remittance of 2024 chapters’ validation fees and membership annual dues to NIDOE; support for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) under the leadership of the Caretaker Committee; and appointment of a 7-member Caretaker Committee tasked with overseeing the organisation’s affairs and facilitating fresh and transparent NIDOE elections.
“At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, 9th November 2024, held virtually for inclusivity and transparency, The General House constituted the Transition Committee and voted to streamline the Caretaker Committee into a 5-Member Transition Committee (pursuant to Article 71 of NIDOE constitution)
“The Committee includes the Chairman, Alhaji Issa Abdullahi (Switzerland); Vice Chairman, Vire Komolafe (Ireland); General Secretary, Dr. Onyebuchi Egbuchunam (Germany); Financial Officer, Busola Agboola (Netherlands); and Public Relations Officer, Folashade Ope (UK South).
“This Transition Committee has secured the support of 16 out of 23 accredited chapters across Europe and has embarked on its mandate to sanitise and stabilise NIDOE’s operations.
“The Transition Committee initiated the following measures: Reconciliation and Stabilisation: Efforts are underway to reconcile and stabilise chapters that became disillusioned under the previous administration.
“Establishment of Committees: Qualification Criteria Committee to define standards for NIDOE membership and leadership; Financial Regulation Committee to enforce best practices in financial management; and Legal Committee to review and align the NIDOE Constitution with EU and UK regulations.
“Media and Publicity Committee to ensure accurate and transparent communication; Financial Reform: A new official bank account will be opened to replace the former reliance on a PayPal system, which allowed for alleged financial malpractices and Election Planning: Transparent elections will be conducted within the legal timeframe as stipulated by the NIDOE Constitution (Sections 6.3.1 and 8.4.2), UK Companies Act (Section 171: Duty to Act Within Powers), and EU GDPR guidelines.
“All Nigerians in the Diaspora, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Nigerian Government and international partners are advised to engage exclusively with the legally constituted Transition Committee.
“All communications should be directed to: [email protected]. Any dealings with unauthorised individuals claiming to represent NIDOE are at personal and professional risk,” she said.
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