From our reporter, Benin
The Chairman of Edo Tipper Drivers' Association, Comrade Austine Nosa Uhunmwangho has debunked the allegation of forceful suspension of members, tenure elongation and tyranny levied against him by some aggrieved members of the Association.
Some suspended members of the Association led by one Osaro Aigbekan were on the streets of Benin recently, in a protest against the Chairman raising various allegations.
Reacting, Comrade Austine while speaking with newsmen in his office disclosed that some members of the Association were constituting nuisance.
Consequently, they were suspended following due process as signatures were collated from seventy(70), out of eighty six (86) members with their names , position and branch appended to that effect during their meeting, he said.
On the issue of tenure elongation which he denied, the Chairman said every action taken by his executive was based on the Association's constitution as amended in 2020.
The Association have rules and regulations guiding the conduct and actions of its members, Comrade Uhunmwangho stated.
Aigbekan is notorious for trouble making in the Association as his love to cause break down of public peace and order knows no bound, he added.
Explaining further, the Chairman said in 2008, Osaro Aigbekan and his cohorts invaded the state secretariat of the Association with dangerous weapons and fire arms to remove the then sitting Chairman, Fred Omo Igbinoba who was duly elected into office in 2007.
But with the help of security operatives Aigbekan and his boys were arrested and taken to Alagbon in Lagos state for questioning.
He again recently led his gang members to attack the Ikpoba Slope Secretariat of the Association ín his usual way, attempting to illegally seize power through violence, but failed.
He quickly wrote a petition against the sitting Chairman to the AIG, Zone 5, Benin and other security agencies, seeking support for his unholy actions but again failed.
Aigbekan was therefore invited by the committee of the Association incorporated trustee, but surprisingly he refused to honour them.
At the end of the committee's meeting, the members recommended the suspension of Aigbekan and gang to the state executive and the board of trustees citing article nine(9)of the Edo Tipper Drivers' Association constitution.
He added that their suspension was ractified at an emergency meeting scheduled for June 8th, 2023 via a unanimous decision.
"Agbekan and gang were consequently placed on four (4) years suspension which was duly signed by seventy (70) members out of the eighty six(86) members of the state with their names , position and branch appended."
Uhunmwangho pointed out that Aigbekan is not even eligible to oversee the affairs of the Association because he has no former education.
This is expressly stated in the Association's constitution as amended in 2020; only those who can read and write are qualified to vie for any elective position of its leadership, the Chairman said.
He therefore advised members of the public to disregard the recent protest led by Aigbekan whose alleged intention was to illegally seize power to preside over the affairs of the Association.
All efforts to reach the alleged; Aigbekan for reaction were not successful as at the time of filing in this report, on Monday.
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