Food Union Crisis: Finally,House of Reps Fixes November 19 to Hear Petition Against Oyelekan

THE House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions has scheduled Thursday November 19, 2020 to hear the petition filed by aggrieved members of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) against Comrade Lateef Idowu Oyelekan, the union’s National President on issues related to the subversion of the constitution of the trade union organisation.

In the Summons/Hearing Notice signed by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions and sighted by National Record, the parties were invited to appear in person before the House Committee on Public Petitions on Thursday, November 19, 2020 by 2pm in Room 429 at the New Wing of the National Assembly Complex.

The Notice of Hearing also advised them to comply with NCDC protocols on Covid-19, while also asking for the submission of “one (1) soft and ten (10) hard copies of your brief on the matter,” just as it also informed the parties “the case may be heard or determined” in their absence if the failed to “attend the hearing as required”.

- Notice -

Flashback
It will be recalled that the House on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 adopted the petition from aggrieved members of the union, which was presented at the House’s plenary by Hon Prince Rotimi Agunsoye, member representing Kosofe Federal Constituency, Lagos.

The petition was adopted and referred to the House Committee on Public Petitions by the Speaker of the House, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila.

A copy of the petition, obtained by National Record, and printed in the letterhead of a legal firm, Toyin Usman & Associates, entitled, “Petition by Against [sic] One Lateef Idowu Oyelekan the national president of National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees and a call on the National Assembly of Nigeria to Save Nigerian Junior Workers in the Food, Beverage and Tobacco employees Union,” raised several allegations against Comrade Oyelekan.

Dated 7^th October, 2020 and signed by M. T. Usman, Esq., the petition accused Comrade Oyelekan of not only subverting the constitution of NUFBTE by illegally extending his tenure as National President along with that of many other elected national officers, but also of financial infractions through dubious appropriations.

Usman in concluding the petition, had pleaded: “The members of the Union are presently helpless because Comrade Lateef Idowu Oyelekan has institutionalized himself deeply that he now has the advisory bodies such as the NLC, Trade Union Congress and the Registrar of Trade Unions in his pocket and it is only this National Assembly with its compassionate members with the welfare of Nigerians at heart that can come to the aid of the Union and its members by rescuing this already bad situation from being worse, should Lateef Oyelekan and his cohorts goes [sic] ahead to hold the emergency delegates conference and ratify the purported unconstitutional elongation of office.

“It is to this end that we are praying this revered Assembly under your able leadership sir, to please safe [sic] our client’s union and their years of service to industrial growths in Nigeria hard works.” [sic]