By: Precious Oluwole

……….Says Some Persons Are Hiding Under His Petition To Execute Hidden Agenda

Otunba Henry Orumen has withdrawn a petition written against the State President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Ondo State Chapter, Comrade Bola Taiwo.

Orumen had earlier written a petition addressed to the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission in Ondo State, Mr Femi Idris, decrying what it described as a constitutional breach arising from simultaneous occupation of dual public offices by Comrade Bola Taiwo.

In his petition, he had demanded with immediate effect, the resignation from office and the refund of salaries, entitlements, and benefits accruing to the two offices to the coffers of NULGE and the Ondo State Government.

The petition read in part: “While everyone was watching you to do the needful, you threw caution to the wind and took the benefits of both offices with impunity that smacks of a violent breach of the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended”.

“Be it noted, sir, that as a human being, you cannot short circuit nature by being in two places at the same time, and you can not expectedly eat your cake and still have it.”

The petitioner, Orumen, warned that, after the ultimatum that expired on November 7, 2023, if the President Taiwo fails to heed “this simple and harmless demand,” he would face public interest litigation seeking to compel the anti-graft agencies to investigate him for corrupt practices that flies in the face of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

However, Orumen, on the 23rd of November, 2023 withdrew the petition he had earlier written, stating that the correspondence in the form of petition was not intended to hurt Comrade Bola Taiwo in any way, as he believes in probity which cannot be doggedly pursued in the face of convincing facts negativing the essence and object of the petition.

In a letter re – addressed to the Local Government Service Commission, Orumen said ” It has come to my notice that by the extant law creating your Commission, a member of the Nigeria Union Local Government Employees must be a member,
which Mr. Bola Taiwo represented by his appointment”.

“My findings subsequent showed that Mr. Bola Taiwo applied for and granted a leave of absence to represent NULGE in the Ondo State Local Government Service Commission, thus making it the first time a NULGE State President would be nominated to the Commission”.

“As elected NULGE officer heading Ondo State branch, the payment accruing is not
salary but honorarium which is lawfully due to him and others in NULGE except for
NULGE administrative employees who are paid salaries monthly”.

“It is noted that some persons are hiding under my petition to execute hidden agenda when my petition was submitted to your office only and I never obliged anyone since 6th November, 2023 to date”.

Orumen opined that in view of the foregoing facts, he is not interested in pursuing the petition as the originator and author, thereby unreservedly withdraw the petition forthwith.

He urged the Local Government Service Commission to ignore, jettison and consign the petition to abeyance and to treat his withdrawal as superseding the petition earlier written on 6th November, 2023.