Deposed NULGE Chairman Escapes Forceful Ejection

The deposed branch chairman, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi, on Monday, Mr Paul Mbam, escaped forceful eviction from office.

The state leadership of the union, comprising the president, secretary and several branch chairmen drawn from across the state, stormed the council headquarters with security operatives, to effect the ejection.

It took the intervention of Chief Kenneth Nwovu, Vice Chairman of the council, who pleaded with the NULGE team, to save the council from embarrassment as it was hosting an event at the headquarters.

“You can see we are hosting this year’s annual Women August Meeting of the council and any chaotic development would disrupt the programme and bring the integrity of the council into disrepute.

“I would convey your message that Mbam ceases to operate as your branch chairman to the council’s chairman, who is unavoidably absent, so that the problem would be amicably resolved,” he pleaded.

Mr Leonard Nkah, the state President of the Union, told Nwovu that the team was at the council to forcefully eject Mbam from office and hand over to the authentic chairman, Mr Sunday Egede.

He said the meeting of the State Executive Council (SEC) of the union on Jan. 6, suspended the branch executive of the union in Abakaliki LGA, and directed that it ceases to operate in that capacity.

“The suspended executive had defied the orders of SEC and continued to operate in spite of subsequent directives to quit, which necessitated the action we intended to execut.

Nkah said the SEC dissolved the branch executive in exercise of the powers conferred on it by the Rule 2 (i) b and Rule 13 (x) of the union’s constitution.

“It was dissolved for gross misconduct, defiance to constituted authority, illegal diversion of NULGE statutory check-off dues among other conducts prejudicial to the interest of the union.

“The SEC, therefore, constituted a five-man committee to oversee the affairs of the branch till further notice, with Messrs Sunday Egede and Ike Okorie as chairman and secretary respectively,” he said.

He noted that copies of the suspension letter and that authorising Egede to assume duties as the chairman in the council had been communicated to the national secretariat of the union.

Mr Ikechukwu Abugu, Secretary of the Union in the state and Chairman, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Caretaker Committee in Ebonyi, urged the council to stop Mbam from operating within three days or face the wrath of the union.

Efforts made to speak with Mbam on the matter proved abortive as he declined to comment on the issue.