NUP dissolves Ubani-led executive in electricity sector, inaugurates caretaker committee

THE Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has dissolved the Temple Ubani-led executives at its Electricity Sector, and inaugurated a Caretaker Committee to to organise election within the next six months.

Before the inauguration, the National Headquarters of NUP has suspended Temple Ubani and his Treasurer, Benjamin Amako, for disregarding the union constitution since their re-election as the chairman and treasurer of electricity sector NUP in December 2015 and alleged embezzlement of union’s funds.

The NUP has also petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Department of State Security Service (SSS), the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Temple Ubani and his cohorts over the allege case of embezzlement .

Speaking with Journalists after the inauguration at the Labour House, Abuja, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mr Abel Osas Eikhor, said Ubani alongside his Treasurer, Amako who were since been suspended by the national headquarters of the union, has being disregarding the union constitution.

He said the issue started since 2012, when “Ubani started playing with the treacherous idea of relocating the NEPA-allocated Union’s Secretariat at NEPA Quarters Block 3 Flat B within the Ijora GRA presumably to a more spacious place. By August 2012 his grand plan had materialised with movement to its present location on the ground floor of the SSA building (former NEPA Computer Centre Ijora) at an annual rent of N800,000.00 Prior to that”.

The NUP further accused Ubani of influencing his NEC to approve a sum of N5 million to renovate the NEPA Quarters with the understanding that it would attract an economic rent which was then around N1 million per annum in that vicinity.

Also, he (ubani), the same year pleaded with his NEC to allow him move into the NEPA Quarters, pretending to be ready to pay the agreed rent once the renovation was completed.

“But as we speak Ubani has since reneged on that decision since January 2013 when he packed into the property. To complete the cycle of fraud on the accommodation, he has been paying himself a sum of N25,000 a month as housing allowance and paying same (N300,000) annually as rent to the union”. He said.

On the suspension, Comrade Eikhor said “It is of interest to note that during the suspension period he was bold to organise an illegal Special National Delegate Conference of the Sector in Asaba, Delta State on April 25,  2017.”

The caretaker chairman said Ubani knew that a suspended officer in any capacity has no authority to convene any meeting, but he still went ahead with impunity to call an NDC, which saw himself and six others, his deputies, signed off their membership of the Union when they affirmed that a new organisation, Electricity Sector Retirees Welfare Association of Nigeria has been established.

He also expressed dismay at the recent action of the suspended Ubani, printing biodata forms to further defraud unsuspecting pensioners.

“In the last two weeks, suspended Comrade Ubani printed and distributed a biodata form without any logo, out of desperation to legalise his action, he printed another form with NUP logo.  And threatened that whoever does not fill the form will not receive his/her monthly pension.