…Senate has no right to suspend me-Agolo

The National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU) has suspended the President of the association, Comrade Agolo Samson over alleged financial misappropriation and abuse of office.

The Senate also directed the Vice-President, Comrade Imalah Ugoachanum, to take over the Presidency on acting capacity and urged him to adhere to the preconvention resolution as reached by the Senate

It also suspended the Financial Secretary, Comrade Gift Osawota for his alleged refusal to “ Brief the Senate on the financial state of the association; present receipts, lodgers and evidence of financial dealings and prepare and present to the Joint council an annual financial report of the association.(Chapter 3 Section 15 (7E, 7F, 7C, 7A Respectively)”

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In a communique signed by the Senate President, Comr. Onyeamai Martin and Senate Clark, Comr. Okonye Gift at the end of the sitting of (NADESSTU) Senate at Oviri Secondary School, Agbarho, the Senate described as unconstitutional the continuous stay in office by the current leadership of the association and berated the lackadaisical attitude of the Comrade Agolo Samson led National Executive in initiating any transition procedure.

It noted that upon the continuous refusal by the National President, Comr. Samson Agolo to appear before the Senate to answer to issues bothering on the gross misconduct and abuse of office as the national president among others, made the Senate to suspend him.

The sitting was well attended by distinguished Senators of the association which are the chapter Presidents or their representatives from various institutions within the federation.

The communique read in part : “ Consistent refusal to disburse to a former Senator (Sen. Jonathan Ogwu of University of Oyo) the financial assistance N70,000) granted to him by the Senate as a matter of urgency to help save his situation of being at the verge of dropping out of the university as a final year student of University of Uyo after the sudden demise of his mother who died of a cardiac arrest; refusal to accept/continuous dissociation of self from members of the executive elected by the Senate via a bye-election conducted by the NEC; refusal to hand-over “in full” the association’s cheque book to the Treasurer which has led to his (National President) continuous withdrawal of cash suspected to be currently at the tune of about N4,000,000 (Four Million Naira) from the association’s bank account without due approval of the National Joint Executive Council (NJEC) and using same (withdrawn money) to enrich self. (Chapter 3, 13c) (Chapter 4, 25).”

Others are “ Deliberate refusal to call for NJEC or Executive meetings for the eighth consecutive month as against the constitutionally stated once at least in two months (Chapter 3, 14f), which led to the Senate acting under the powers of (chapter 3, 17b), thereby directing the Secretary-General to call for an NJEC meeting anytime before 72 hours to the next proposed Senate sitting slated for Friday 15th March, 2019.

“ Sequel to the consistent refusal of the National President to appear before the Senate to answer to the above charges, the Senate thereby resolved as follow.

In his reactions, the suspended president, Comrade Agolo Samson, described the move as illegal, insisting that the Senate has no right to suspend him.

He said: “ They have no right to suspend me. My tenure just expired in July 2018. It is only myself (National President) that has the power to call for such meeting.”