Controversy As CDHR Suspends National VP, Taiga For One Year

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, has suspended its National Vice President, Comrade Prince Kehinde Taiga from office for one year.

CDHR’s National President, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, had in a letter dated 13th August signed the suspension of his Vice President from Office.

The letter reads, “Sequel to the resolution of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the Committee for the Defence of Human Right, CDHR, at its meeting held in Benin City, you have been suspended from office as vice president of the CDHR for one year.”

Dr. Obayuwana said the suspension of his Vice President was, “to pave way for the full and unhindered investigation of allegations of misconduct and acts of indiscipline made against him (Taiga) as contained in the report of three (3) members of the stakeholders’ committee dated 20th June, 2020 based on which the query dated 13th August 2020 has been served on you.”

Dr. Obayuwana added that the suspension was “to enable the Delta State Transition Committee appointed by NEC to discharge its terms of reference/mandate fully.”

In a controversial reaction, a section the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Committee for the Defense of Huma Right, CDHR, in an emergency session held on 15/8/2020 at Asaba, Delta State had disclaimed the suspension of the National-Vice President.

This was contained in a communiqué issued and signed by 5:8 NEC members comprising the National Secretary, Comrade James Chibuzo Chikwendu, Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Kabir Ibrahim, Legal Adviser, Barr. Mrs. Violet Ekumankuma, National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Gerald Katchy and the Internal Auditor, Comrade Ayuba Musa.

Part of the Communiqué reads “We, the National Executive members(NEC) of the Committee for the Defense of Human Right (CDHR) write to disclaim the suspension of the National Vice-President, Comrade (Dr) Prince Kehinde Taiga as announced by the National President, Comrade(Dr) Osagie Obayuwana on 14th August 2020.

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The NEC noted that the National President, Dr Osagie Obayuwana hanged the suspension of his own Vice-President for a period of one year on a purported NEC meeting which held on 8th August 2020 at Benin City and thereafter solely constituted a Transition Committee led by Barr. Godwin Umuko to pilot the affairs of CDHR in Delta State for one year.

The NEC which seems sympathetic to the Prince Taiga’s group pointed out that Dr. Obayuwana had earlier issued queries to Comrade Taiga-led executives including Comrade Isreal Joe, Comrade Harrison Itulua, Comrade Jonathan Giama, accusing all of them of breaching the constitution, financial embezzlement, fraternization and registration of ‘Yahoo boys’ in the organization which they all denied.

Meanwhile, Comrade Taiga in a counter reply also accused the immediate past National President, Barr. Malachy Ugwummadu and National President, Comrade Osagie Obayuwana of misappropriation of funds running into millions of Naira, threatening to petition the Board of Trustees(BoT) of CDHR and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) if the money is not accounted for.

 

NAN