Monday, August 24, 2015

Alleged illegal operation: 3 former security outfit commanders, BoT trade words

Former National Commandant General of Gallant Community Protection and Safety Foundation, GAPCON, Dr Anthony Clarke and his Anambra and Imo State commanders, Dr. Alpha Justice and Deacon Sunday Ogonnaya, respectively are now trading words with the Board of Trustees, BOT of the organization over running of an illegal security outfit.
•Right to Left, Dr Anthony Clarke Comandant General of GAPCON and his Anambra and Imo State Commanders, Dr Alpha Justice and Deacon Sunday Ogonnaya, including Mr Okwuchukwu Obi, a member of the organization also alleged to have been deceived into joining the group.
•Right to Left, Dr Anthony Clarke Comandant General of GAPCON and his Anambra and Imo State Commanders, Dr Alpha Justice and Deacon Sunday Ogonnaya, including Mr Okwuchukwu Obi, a member of the organization also alleged to have been deceived into joining the group.
While Clarke, Justice and Ogbonnaya on one side are accusing GAPCON BOT members of running an illegal organization and using it to extort money from people, the members of the BOT of the organization said they were angry and peddling rumours of running illegal organization because they were sacked for misconduct.
The BOT of GAPCON said their outfit is well recognized and not in any way illegal, having got all the approvals from the Federal Government agencies and Ministries that are in charge of giving approval for such security outfit.
Addressing a joint press briefing in Onitsha, the three ex-GAPCON officers said they were deceived into joining the organization and incurring debt through renting office accommodations for the organization in Asaba, Onitsha and Owerri on the directive of the organization which, it did not pay for but instead the BOT members turned around to accuse them of non-existent offence.
The ex-Anambra State Command, Dr. Justice and members of the BOT are also accusing each other of threat to their lives.
While Dr Justice who is the proprietor New World Computer Professional Institute Ltd, Onitsha, accused some members of the organization and the police as threatening his life following several arrests by police, a member of the GAPCON BOT Chief Donatus Ibe accused Dr Justice of inviting the police and the Army first into their matter.
Dr Justice recalled that one Pastor Michael Obierika approached him sometime in 2013 to join and support GAPCON financially. He said that  by September 2014, he was appointed the Anambra State commandant, but without an identity card. Neither uniform nor any stipulated monthly allowance was given him.
He disclosed that he single handedly sourced for funds to buy furniture and equipped the Anambra state branch office, lamenting that no kobo was given to him, and he has not been refunded the money by the organization.
“Pastor Obierika was in charge of registration of new members, sale of forms and screening of members, and also collected all money for the organization, as well as employing staff who were accountable to him.
“When I discovered that the organization was not backed by the relevant authorities in Nigeria, I withdrew my membership by tendering my resignation letter.
“Other reasons for my resignation were: the organization uses multifarious appellations such as Gallant  Community Corps of Nigeria, Gallant Community Protection Corps of Nigeria, Gallant Community Protection and Safety Corps as opposed to the duly registered name; falsification of an approval letter Reff:
NATIM/20/14432, dated, 11, January,2013, from Ministry of Trade and Investment, Abuja; the organization bearing of   arms and ammunition, and uses combatant uniforms with guns crested on it without due approval. “
Dr. Justice said his ordeal in the hands of the BoT of the organiz- ation started since he handed over his resignation letter dated 2, March, 2015 to which the BOT rejected, and have since continued to persecute him.

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