BY MYKE UZENDU, ABUJA
The Labour Party has described the allegations by its National Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Opara against the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure as malicious and sponsored by the enemies of the party.
The party’s National Treasurer, Mrs Oluchi Oparah, had on Monday in a press conference, demanded that the National Chairman, Julius Abure render an account of party funds of over N3.5bn being proceeds of sale of forms and sundry fundraisers for the 2023 general elections.
The treasurer alleged that Abure prevented her from exercising her constitutionally assigned role of handling the party’s accounts.
She claimed that the chairman shunned all entreaties to open the party’s books for scrutiny after the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms closed before the 2023 general elections.
But reacting to the development, the party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh said that the National Treasurer is under some external influences and merely read out a concocted statement drafted by the party’s detractors to further tarnish the image of the party.
“With the exception of the National Treasurer whose tenure is about to end in few weeks’ time, and who has served for 8 years as National Treasurer without a single record of party accounts, no other member of the national working committee has raised any issue of embezzlement against our National Chairman who made a pledge on assumption that the party has to be revamped. Evidence is our proactive outing in the 2023 general election as the party presented for the first time a very good presidential candidate.
The party reminded Opara that Article 14:1b provided that the National Chairman shall be the Accounting Officer of the party while 14:1d “Shall approve all expenditures and shall be a signatory to the Party’s Bank account(s)”
Accordingly, Article 14: 6 states that the National Treasurer “Shall receive and promptly pay into the Party’s account(s), all monies received for and on behalf of the Party.
“Shall ensure the preparation of Annual Statement of Account/Reports on finances of the Party including compilation of the Party’s Assets and liabilities and make same available to the National Executive Council from time to time. Shall be a co-signatory to the Party Account(s).”
He recalled that “in the past, the party didn’t have accounting books or method as it was ran by the then chairman and Ms Oluchi the Treasurer. They were only accountable to themselves, but with the emergence of the Abure led executive, and the growth of the party, it became imperative for the party to structure its accounting method and policy. This of course didn’t go down well with the National Treasurer whose financial source was shut down.
“The party can understand her vituperations but we can’t help her situation more so when her time in the NWC is running out. Her wish to cash out was not granted and her subtile effort to push the leadership to ‘settle’ her was rejected hence her resolve to fight dirty.
The party said that the National Treasurer is alone on the battle. He said that several stakeholders have had course to prevail on her to bridle her inordinate ambition and lamented that she still went ahead to align with the partys detractors and sworn enemies to malign the party.