By ESENVOSA IZAH

The National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) has expelled 21 of its suspended members over gross anti-union conduct and infraction against its constitution.

The union’s National President, Mr Lateef Oyelekan, and Acting General Secretary, Mr Mike Olarenwaju, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in September 2020, the union was rocked by a leadership crisis, during which Mr Peter Onoja, the union’s former National Signing Trustee, now among the expelled members, had claimed that the union had two factions and named himself president of one of the factions.

Both Onoja and the union’s former General Secretary, Mr Bamidele Busari, who is also expelled, had called for an end in illegality in the union.

Oyelekan, however, refuted claims that the union had been torn into factions.

On Wednesday, Oyelekan and Olarenwaju said that the decision to expel those suspended members was made during the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

“The NEC in-session received and extensively deliberated on the report of the National Administrative Committee and the NUFBTE Disciplinary Committee on some suspended members and staff of our union.

“This concerned their deliberate infractions committed against the provisions of the union’s constitution and refusal to appear before disciplinary committee hearings to clear various allegations of misconduct levelled against them.

“Consequently, the NEC in-session resolved to expel them. We also considered and accepted the recommendation of the disciplinary committee concerning the suspended General Secretary, Busari, whose dismissal was immediately approved,” the duo said. (NAN)

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