NURTW Chairman Probe Over N5m Health Insurance Fund

The House of Representatives on Thursday unveiled plans to investigate the activities of the National Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Tajudeen Baruwa, over the collection of the sum of N5 million for the facilitation of a Memorandum of Understanding for the health insurance scheme for members of the Union.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a petition titled: Public Petition against the National Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers, Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa’ laid by Hon. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun).

While seeking the House intervention, the Petitioner – Pastor Samuel Oyeterun, alleged that the NURTW National Chairman collected the sum of N5 million for the facilitation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a health insurance scheme for members of the Union.

“I am highly delighted to present my heartfelt compliments to you, Sir. My name is Pastor Samuel Oluwafemi Oyeterun, the Chief Executive Officer of Divine Tonical Medicare Ltd.

“I am writing to request your kind intervention in the matter between myself and The National Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa concerning a proposal to handle a health insurance scheme for members of his union.

“Upon agreement, I effected two tranches of payment of the sum of Five million Naira (N5,000,000:00) based on a request from him to facilitate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

“However, since the payment of the money on 4th, August 2022 and 30th September 2022 respectively, (transaction receipts attached) he has neither signed the MOU nor given me any opportunity to meet with him on the proposal.”

The petition added, “Your Excellency, I have made several attempts to get a refund of this money which was a bank loan which was obtained for this failed transaction.

“Most unfortunately, despite my phone calls to him, the National Secretary and Legal Officer as well as several visits to his office, the National Chairman is yet to make the refunds.

“More importantly, Rep. Bamidele Salam made frantic efforts to bring us to a roundtable to ensure that my money is refunded to me but all his attempts were frustrated by the National Chairman and his handlers.

“I am therefore left with no option than to appeal to Your Excellency to use your good office to prevail on him to do the needful as quickly as possible since my creditors are on my neck.

“Your Excellency, while anticipating your help in this regard, please accept the assurances of my best wishes.”

In line with extant legislative rules, the motion was referred to the House Committee on Public Petitions for further legislative action.

Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provided that: “For the purposes of any investigation under section 88 of this Constitutional and subject to the provisions thereof, the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with section 62 of this Constitution shall have power to – (a) procure all such evidence, written or oral, direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable, and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter.

“require such evidence to be given on oath;

“summon any person in Nigeria to give evidence at any place or produce any document or other thing in his possession or under his control, and examine him as a witness and require him to produce any document or other thing in his possession or under his control, subject to all just exceptions; and

“issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to do so and does not excuse such failure, refusal or neglect to the satisfaction of the House or the committee in question, and order him to pay all costs which may have been occasioned in compelling his attendance or by reason of his failure, refusal or neglect to obey the summons, and also to impose such fine as may be prescribed for any such failure, refused or neglect; and any fine so imposed shall be recoverable in the same manner as a fine imposed by a court of law.

“A summons or warrant issued under this section may be served or executed by any member of the Nigeria Police Force or by any person authorized on that behalf by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may require.”