Strong indications emerged yesterday that the Ogun State government may press criminal charges against the leadership of the state’s branch of National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) over alleged undisbursed, but missing N50 million SMEs loan facility extended to the association since last February this year.
This is coming on the heels of the blunt refusal of members of NATA’s State Executive Committee (SEC) members to honour an invitation sent to them by a peace committee set up by the state government to resolve the crisis bedeviling the association over the unsatisfactory explanations offered to members for their inability to either disburse the fund, or explain the whereabouts of the money.
LEADERSHIP gathered that some aggrieved NATA members had approached the Citizens’ Rights Department of the Ogun State Ministry of Justice wherein they requested the government to intervene in the matter before it snowballs into a full-blown crisis that is capable of jeopardizing the peace of the state.
It would be recalled that Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun had on March 13, 2023, released the sum of N50 million to the association as part of his commitment towards ensuring that NATA members in the state acquire modern facilities that will enhance their work abilities.
The fund released under the Abiodun’s “Oko Owo Dapo” SMEs Loan Scheme, was to assist NATA members who may have found it difficult to access loan facilities from commercial banks, with the opportunity to get funds that will assist them equip their respective workshops.
It was alleged that NATA’s leadership in the state refused to disburse the loan to members, a development which made some members accuse their leaders of having embezzled the fund and later reported the matter before the Citizens’ Rights Department of the state’s Ministry of Justice.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP on phone, NATA’s state chairman, Balogun denied the allegations, saying he and the two other Ex-co members were outside the state for an official regional function on the day fixed for the meeting, hence their absence.
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