…Court Sacks All Executive Members, Awards 50,000
By; MKPUMA ENYINNA, Abakaliki
Following the alarm raised by the immediate past Director of National Population Commission (NPC), Ebonyi State, Elder Omoke Njoku, over the fraudulent activities of executive members of their cooperative society which has destabilized and crippled the growth and development of the union, an Ebonyi State High Court has sacked all the executive members of the cooperative to pave way for due process to be followed, and awarded N50,000 against them.
This followed a suit no. HAB/9/2022 filed by Elder Omoke Nweze Njoku, challenging the legality of continued operation in office of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th fefendants, after their tenures elapsed.
Elder Njoku among other things, had prayed the court to order the 2nd to 5th Defendants to vacate their offices, having served out their tenures, in line with the Bye-laws and Regulations governing the Co-operative society.
He equally asked the court to order the 2nd to 5th Defendants to account for their stewardship since assumption of office.
The Plaintiff also prayed the Court to declare that the termination of his membership of the Co-operative vide a voice vote without any justifiable reasons was unlawful, null and void and of no legal effect whatsoever as it offends the relevant provisions of section 26(3) of the Nigeria Co-operative Societies Decree No. 90 and Regulations 1993 (Subsidiary Legislation) and clause 8(a) to (b) of the 1st Defendant’s bye-law.
Ruling on the matter,the Presiding Judge, Justice Benson Ogbu, declared as unlawful, null and void the continued perpetuation in office of the President, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Secretary of the Co-operative and ordered them to vacate their offices, forthwith.
Justice Ogbu also declared that the termination of the Plaintiff’s membership of the Co-operative by the 2nd to 5th Defendants vide a voice vote without any justifiable reasons was unlawful, null, void and of no legal effect whatsoever.
The court also awarded the sum of N50,000.00 (fifty thousand naira only) as cost against the Defendants, and orders for fresh election.
The executive members of the cooperative society affected by the court judgement includes: Mrs.Nwakaego Chinyere Nwachukwu, Mr.Okpala M. Okechukwu, Mrs. Priscilla Amos Onyebuchi and Mrs. Amaka Agwu Oswald to vacate their positions as President, Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Secretary, respectively, of the National Population Commission (NPC) Abakaliki Staff Multi-purpose Co-operative Society Ltd, in accordance with the bye-laws and regulations governing the Co-operative.
Addressing journalists after the court sitting, Elder Njoku described the court ruling as a welcome development which has shown that Judiciary is the last hope of a common man.
According to him, the President of the Co-operative Society, Mrs. Nwakaego Nwachukwu had resisted all geninue efforts to enable her account for or audit the project monies spent without any necessary explanation or cash analyses on all the financial transactions made.
He further explained that most of the problems the are now witnessing started when the President and Financial Secretary finished their first and second terms in office in line with the provisions of section 26 (2) of the Nigeria Co-operative Society Degree No 90 and regulations 1993 and section 24 (3) and (4) of the subsidiary legislation thereto, and refused to vacate office as was the custom and went into undue manipulations to justify their continued manipulations and perpetration in office till date (year 2022),which has hampered the success of the union.
Reacting to the development, the President of NPCASMPCS, Mrs. Nwakaego Chinyere Nwachukwu who neither accepted nor refuted the allegations leveled against her and the Financial Secretary of the Co-operative, said as a civil servant she was not permitted to make public comments or inputs that might jeopardize her job.
According to her, the cooperative society is not her personal venture and so, as a representative of the people, she needed clearance to enable her speak on the matters raised.
