The Board of Trustees and Governing Board of the Environmental Rights Development Foundation (ERDF) and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, has disowned its former executive director, Godwin Uyi Ojo.
The organization in a statement signed by Ike Okonta, its BOT Secretary, and made available to The ICIR on Wednesday stated that the former director was removed from its trusteeship in 2015 following allegations of misconduct and actions that could threaten its peace and progress.
According to the statement, Ojo who recently called for a General Assembly on October 7, 2020, in Benin City, was subsequently relieved of his appointment at an emergency meeting by the board on October 3, 2020, following an independent evaluation commissioned by the board.
“The Board would not have considered the illegal convening worth being given any attention but for the stakeholders of ERA/FoEN who might be scandalized if the Board remains silent,” ERA said.
“To put the records straight, Godwin Uyi 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.
“Similarly, the Board had on October 3, 2020 held an Emergency meeting where the decision to relieve Godwin Ojo of his appointment as executive director was taken. The decision followed the report of an independent evaluation of the organisation commissioned by the Board.
“The evaluation concluded that The current ED who is by nature of the position ultimately responsible for the day to day functioning of the organization and staff management appears to be out of his depth, lacking both leadership and management sufficient to the task.
“Members of the Board who signed Ojo’s Ouster are Nnimmo Bassey, Dr. Ike Okonta, Dr. Joe-Okei Odumakin, Professor Margaret Okorodudu-Fubara, Akinbode Oluwafemi and Daphne Wysham.
“Instead of abiding by the decision of the Board, Ojo has been involving himself in illegalities including the purported General Assembly Meeting where he brought together faceless civil society groups.”
It urged the general public to note that Ojo is no longer a member of ERA/FoEN and does not in any way represent the organisation in any capacity.
Environmental Rights Action (ERA) is a Nigerian advocacy non-governmental organisation founded on January 11, 1993 to deal with environmental human rights issues in Nigeria. ERA is the Nigerian chapter of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI).
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