There was drama at the meeting of Ekiti State Chapter of Local Government Pensioners Association of Nigeria (LOGPAN) on Wednesday when members sacked the executive council led by Chief Julius Adekogba.
The local government pensioners at their mini congress held in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said Adekogba who had been in office for 21 years violated Article 2 (ii) of the union constitution which provides for a term of three years in office which is renewable for another three year term.
The pensioners also said Adekogba contravened Article 13 (viii) of the constitution by accepting political appointment from Governor Ayo Fayose as a Commissioner in the State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM).
They also said other members of the exco are equally guilty of the offence by congratulating Adekogba when he was given the appointment with none of them drawing his attention to the alleged constitutional infraction.
Union members said Adekogba could not remain chairman of Ekiti chapter while at the same time holding office as LOGPAN’s national chairman.
The motion for the dissolution of the Adekogba-led exco was moved by Mr. Biodun Olanrewaju, and was unanimously seconded by voice vote of members present.
Apart from dissolving the exco, the council pensioners resolved that a caretaker committee be constituted to pilot the affairs of the union and conduct an election to usher in another set of officials.
Adekogba insisted that he remains the chairman but members walked out on him in the rowdy session.
The pensioners accused Adekogba of failing to fight for their interest having been an official of the Fayose administration. They claimed that many of them had died waiting for their monthly pensions and gratuities.
According to the pensioners, four died in the last one week just few days after seven of them died within two weeks.
Other ‘offences’ the pensioners accused Adekogba of committing include alleged refusal to render statement of annual income and expenditure for many years, illegal and unauthorized deductions from monthly pension allowances.
Another reason is for their failure to render stewardship account for many years and failure to provide office accommodation for the body.
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