|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Yusuf Salihu Sansani, Jalingo
Security operatives in Taraba State from the State Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil defence Corps (NSCDC) have sealed the office of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Jalingo, the State Capital.
This followed a lingering dispute between unelected and imposed Caretaker Committee of the Union headed by Mamuda Nyaro and members of the “Concerned Pensioners” in the State led by Comrade El-Nathan Bila Auta, a former Chairman of the NLC in Taraba State who are in the majority.
Reacting on the sealing of the NUP office, Chairman of the “Concerned Pensioners” Comrade Auta described the actions of the Security Operatives as illegal because the National Headquarters of the Union has officially written to the Taraba State Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas, the Commissioner of Police Taraba State Command, copied to the Secretary to the State Government SSG Gibon Timothy Kataps and the State Head of Civil Service Dr. Ahmed Kara that it is handling the disputes amicably urging the Governor and the security to allow it to solve the problem which it is capable of handling advising the SSG to completely off his hands from all affairs involving Pensioners in Taraba State.
The Chairman said regrettably, in spite of the official letter from the National Headquarters of the NUP in Abuja the Police and the Civil defence refused to heed to it’s contents and willfully sealed the NUP Office
action which will only worsen and aggregate the situation saying that there was no reason for them to take this drastic action.
“Infact there was no reason whatsoever for the security to take this action it was uncalled for as we are not fighting physically we are following all due processes to ensure that Justice is done to Pensioners in Taraba State so that they all get what they deserved in line with the saying that “Life is sweet after Service” but not bitter as we are experiencing in Taraba State” the Chairman noted.
“We are tired with the type of leaders we are having since the Creation of Taraba State we have nothing to show and our sorous deepened daily while other Unions cares for the welfare of their members providing succour to the needy amongst them and moving as one family ours is retardation and backwardness our past leaders have failed to struggle and lobby for a good life for pensioners in spite of the huge monthly dues being generated monthly which only goes to private pockets sincerely we are tired and we shall fight to redeem the fate of Pensioners in Taraba State up to the last man standing we will not allow any official to continue to cheat our members and will resist any one from any quarter trying to gag us” El-Nathan declared.
He said when he contacted the Commissioner of Police Taraba State Command Emmanuel Simon Bretet denied any knowledge of the sealing of the NUP office in Taraba State and in the same vein the Commandant of the NSCDC in the State Anthony Bala Bitrus also claimed ignorant of the sealing of the office but suddenly withdrew the van of the NSCDC which blocked the entrance of the NUP office and it’s men who prevented the members of the Union from having access to the office but the policemen that were there refused to vacate insisting that they must get an order from their superiors before they leave.
However, the Divisional NSCDC officer in Jalingo Local Government DSP Barnabas Kopzumma Shwarmwen who posted his men to block the entrance of the NUP office confirmed that he acted on directives from above.
El-Nathan Bila further disclosed that from all indications the Secretary to Taraba State Government Gibon Timothy Kataps has refused to abide by the letter officially written to him by the National Office of the Union to stay away from all issues affecting Pensioners in Taraba State by openly taking side with the other faction of the Union which Chairman is his tribesman and brother from the Mambilla plateau who he is trying to protect at all cost.
The Chairman used the opportunity to appeal to Taraba State Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas to caution the SSG from delving into issues of Pensioners that do not affect him because he is not even a Pensioner.
He said the SSG Gibon Timothy Kataps is doing everything possible to ruin the Administration of Governor Agbu Kefas particularly with Pensioners who are in high number in the State because he is aiming at the coveted seat of Taraba State Governor and advised the Governor to be wary and cautious.
He disclosed that while the National office of the NUP was doing everything possible to solve the disputes of the State Pensioners peacefully, the SSG went ahead and wrote a nasty letter to the “Concerned Pensioners” directing that they should vacate the office for the other faction that is not even recognized by majority of the members.
All efforts by Apex News Exclusive in Taraba State to hear from officials of the other faction of the Union in the dispute failed as they abandoned the NUP office for quite a long time now and gone underground while non of their known phone lines were going through.
As of the time of filing this report, the Taraba State Secretariat of the NUP remains closed as the police men who refused to vacate together with the men of the NSCDC are still there and prevented all members of the NUP in the State from going in, the outcome of this disputes of Pensioners in Taraba State only God knows.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.