CDHR Suspends National Vice President, Taiga From Office 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 letter of his Vice President from Office.

His letter reads thus, “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 a 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 him.

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.”

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In a controversial reaction, a section the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, in an emergency session held on 15/8/2020 at Asaba, Delta State, had disclaimed the suspension of the National-Vice President, Comrade (Dr) Prince Kehinde Taiga by the National President, Comrade (Dr) Osagie Obayuwana.

This was contained in a communique issued and signed by 5:8 NEC members comprising of 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 Communique reads “we the National Executive Members (NEC) of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (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 the 14th August 2020.”

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

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