Activists Make Counter Claims As Conflict Of Interests, Rivalry Split ERA/FoEN

For the Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), these are not the best of times. The civil society group, which was founded in 1993, has in the last couple of weeks been locked in a war of wits emanating from a clash of interests and rivalry between its pioneer Chairman and Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey and his successor, Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo, who took over as Executive Director of the environmentalist’s group on 2013.

Trouble started when on Saturday October 3, 2020, the Board of Trustees (BoT) headed by Bassey, removed Ojo as Executive Director after its meeting in Benin City, a move which did not go down well with Ojo. He had argued that having just served the group for seven years, it was not yet time to quit, insisting that he remained Executive Director, maintaining that Bassey served as Executive Director for 27 years and remained its Chairman till date.

Following the development, the Ojo camp held its General Assembly on October 7, 2020 at the Precious Palm Royal Hotel in Benin City, where it made far reaching resolutions, among which is that Ojo must remain Executive Director of the group until further notice.

It explained that it took cognizance of the lingering crisis among the trustees and management team of ERA/FoEN prior to 2013 and beyond, when Ojo took over from Bassey.

“The main cause of the ongoing crisis is the lack of trust and conflict of interest by Bassey’s leadership style, control and direct involvement in the day-to-day management of the organisation that is the primary role of the current Executive Director. He occupies the dual position as ERA/FoEN Executive Director and Chairman of the Board since inception in 1993 to 2013, and remained as Chair of the Board for over 27 years.

“He combines these as Executive Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF); an organization he established for the purpose of sabotaging the progress of Environmental Rights Development Foundation (also known as ERA/FoEN. The conflict of interest has caused rivalry and entrenched conflicts that are inimical to the smooth running of the Environmental Rights Development Foundation,” the communiqué stated.

Relating to the crisis, the General Assembly made the following resolutions:

(1) That Nnimmo Bassey has been removed as Trustee and Chairman of the Board and is hereby removed and every step of illegality taken by him to undermine the interest of the Environmental Rights Development Foundation is declared null and void;

(2) That the REA/FoEN offices in Lagos and Abuja under the control of Nnimmo Bassey be shut down with immediate effect until further directive from Dr. Godwin Uyi Ojo;

(3) That the General Assembly passed a vote of confidence on Ojo as Executive Director and as a leading environmental and human rights advocate, community and grassroots mobiliser, and urged him not to be distracted by anyone in the discharge of his duties;

(4) That the General Assembly reaffirmed his position as Executive Director;

(5) That going by the provisions of section 834(1) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020, the General Assembly vetted and approved the nomination and appointments of Chief Saint Emma Pii as Chairman with Ojo as Secretary, Mike Karikpo (member and Jennifer Ero (member).

(6) That Chima Williams, who is parading himself as Acting Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, be subjected to disciplinary actions within the ambits of the law; and

(7) That members of the public should take note that Chima Williams is not Executive Director of ERA and as such no one should transact business with him.

But at its meeting of October 3, 2020, Bassey insisted that he remained BoT chairman of ERA/FoEN, adding that the general assembly called by Ojo, where he was purportedly removed as BoT chairman, was illegal and that all decisions reached at that meeting amounted to a nullity.

He said Ojo was removed as Executive Director of the organisation at an Emergency Board Meeting based on a report of an Independent Evaluation of ERA/FoEN.

Also, the group’s Board of Trustees and Governing Board said it learnt of a purported General Assembly meeting convened in Benin City on October 7, 2020 by Ojo, who it maintained, was recently disengaged as Executive Director of ERA/FoEN.

Secretary of the BoT, Ike Okonta, maintained that the Board would not have considered the illegal meeting worth being given any attention, but for the stakeholders of ERA/FoEN who might be scandalised if the Board remained silent.

“To put the records straight, Ojo was removed from the Trusteeship of the ERA/FoEN in 2015 following allegations of gross misconduct and actions inimical to peace and progress of the organisation.

Members of the Board who signed Ojo’s ouster are Bassey, Okonta, Joe-Okei Odumakin, Professor Margaret Okorodudu-Fubara, Akinbode Oluwafemi and Daphne Wysham.