The Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Department of State Security Service (SSS), the
Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other security agencies to investigate Temple Ubani and his cohorts over allege case of embezzlement of union’s funds running into millions of naira.
Speaking with Journalists yesterday, chairman Caretaker Committee of NUP Electricity Sector, Barr. Abel Osas Eikhor, said Ubani alongside his Treasurer, Benjamin Amako who were since been suspended by the national headquarters of the union, has being disregarding the union constitution since his re-election as the chairman of electricity sector NUP in December 2015.
According to him, trouble started, since 2012, when “Ubani started playing with the treacherous idea of relocating the NEPA-allocated
Union’s Secretariat at NEPA Quarters Block 3 Flat B within the Ijora GRA presumably to a more spacious place. By August 2012 his grand dubious plan had materialised with movement to its present location on the ground floor of the SSA building (former NEPA Computer Centre Ijora) @ an annual rent of N800,000.00 Prior to that”.
The NUP further accused Ubani of influencing his NEC to approve a sum of N5m to renovate the NEPA Quarters with the understanding that it would attract an economic rent which was then around N1m per annum in that vicinity.
Also, he (ubani), the same year pleaded with his NEC to allow him move into the NEPA Quarters, pretending to be ready to pay the agreed rent once the renovation was completed.
However, “But as we speak Ubani has since reneged on that decision since January 2013 when he packed into the property. To complete the cycle of fraud on the accommodation, he has been paying himself a sum of N25,000 a month as housing allowance and paying same (N300,000) annually as rent to the union”.
Speaking on their suspension from the union, Comrade Eikhor said “It is of interest to note that during the suspension period he was bold to organise an illegal Special National Delegate Conference of the Sector in Asaba, Delta State on the 25th of April 2017”.
The caretaker chairman said Ubani knew that a suspended officer in any capacity has no authority to convene any meeting, adding “but still went ahead with impunity to call an NDC, which saw himself and six others, his deputies, signed off their membership of the Union when they affirmed that a new organisation, Electricity Sector Retirees Welfare Association of Nigeria has been established.
He also expressed dismay at the recent action of the suspended Ubani, printing biodata forms to further defraud unsuspecting pensioners.
“In the last two weeks, suspended Comrade Ubani printed and distributed a biodata form without any logo, out of desperation to legalise his action, he printed another form with NUP logo. And threatened that whoever does not fill the form will not receive his/her monthly pension.
“On the form is a request for members’ bank details and their next-of-kin which clearly brings out the criminal intention of the drafters of the document.
“Similarly it is clear that the relevant government agencies have taken action against the illegalities perpetrated by Mr. Ubani and his Cohorts. we call on all relevant security outfits namely, Police, Directorate of Security Services, EFCC, ICPC and the INTERPOL to take immediate steps to investigate the alleged cases of embezzlement of union funds by Mr. Ubani and his cohorts before and during his suspension”.
