The National body of Butchers Union Of Nigeria has announced the appointment of a 12 member caretaker committee for the Lagos Branch of the Union pending the election for new executive members at a date to be soon specified.
The appointment of the committee was conveyed in a letter, signed by Alhaji Biliaminu Elesinmeta, Southwest Zonal and Kwara State Coordinator, to the Honourable Commissioner of Agriculture Lagos State and made available to newsmen.
The letter reads, “I write to convey the warm wishes of National Butchers Union of Nigeria to you and to inform you that after the expiration of the state executive Committee of lagos chapter of our union being headed by Alhaji Kazeem Bamidele, the national body which have the sole authority to elect of select as the case maybe had set up these members from lagos chapter to oversee the affairs of the union in the state as Caretaker Committee pending the election for new executives to be conducted.
The members include; Elder Shola Adetele as Chairman, Onifade Dauda, Olanrewaju Aremu as Secretary, Akanji Okedara, Lukmon Adeyemo, Yakubu Shehu, Wasiu Akowo, Samad, Akintoye Rasak, Taofeek Abolade, Yaro Musibau, Arigbabuwo Kazeem.
Alhaji Elesinmeta while making further clarifications, said the committee was quickly put in place, “to ensure sanity, peace and transparency in the coming election in the Lagos State Chapter of the union and we have taken drastic steps by informing the Nigeria Police Zone 2 Command, Lagos to forestall any negative action from the immediate Chairman or his cohorts.
Speaking further, Alhaji Elesinmeta said, “The Lagos branch of the union was rocked by many challenges during and after the tenure of Alhaji Bamidele Kazeem Alabi led administration, with threats and plans by him and his followers to make the Union ungovernable to the appointed committee members and would do everything possible not to allow election to take place but the imposition of his own choice officials.
“If his threats are not checked, he will instigate a serious crisis and dispute that can snowball into an uncontrollable level, leading to war with the use of dangerous weapons amongst members of the Lagos Butcher’s Union.
“After the completion of his tenure Alhaji Kazeem Bamidele who was the immediate chairman refused to leave the post and to handover to a successor. He decided to go against the rules of the union which is to step down after the completion of the tenure.” He said.
Adding, “All effort by the members to step him down from the position proved abortive. He initially acted as if he had stepped down, but went ahead to appoint his own committee which is against the rules of the union.
“The Union had issued an official directive earlier, requiring Alhaji Kazeem Bamidele to step down from his position after finishing his second term in office and in line with the constitution of the Union was asked to indeed step down. This is aside the issues of bad governance, allegations of misconduct, highhandedness, financial misappropriation among other actions inimical to the good name of the Union and the office of the National Butchers Union of Nigeria.
“The National Union for the sake of peace has decided to wade in by setting up the committee which comprises of a Chairman, Secretary and ten members with Elder Shola Adetele as the Authentic Interim Chairman with effect from Monday 29, July 2024, who will stabilise, restore lost values and conduct a credible elections to bring in suitable candidates for the progress of the Union in Lagos State.
One of their leaders, who is passionately working for the peace of the union pleaded with the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of Agriculture to look into the affairs of the union, with the view to solving the leadership crisis, by calling the erstwhile Chairman to order and asking him to comply with the decision of the National body and allow peace to reign.
The refusal of any member to comply with the Government’s directive and the National Butchers Union of Nigeria will be meted with punishment from its leadership to the point of expulsion from the Union.
