Pastor petitions reps over ‘N5m failed transaction’ with NURTW chair

Samuel Oyeterun, chief executive officer (CEO) of Divine Tonical Medicare Ltd, has petitioned the house of representatives over an alleged failed transaction with Tajudeen Baruwa.

Baruwa is the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

The petition was presented before the house during plenary on Thursday by Bamidele Salam, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo of Osun state.

In the petition, Oyeterun, who is a Christian cleric, claimed that he paid Baruwa N5 million to facilitate the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a health insurance scheme for members of his union.

The petitioner alleged that since the payment was made in August and September 2022, Baruwa has refused to sign the MOU and has made himself unavailable.

“I am writing to request your kind intervention in the matter between myself and the chairman of NURTW, Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa, concerning a proposal to handle a health insurance scheme for members of his union,” the petition reads.

“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 an 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.”

Oyeterun said he had made “several attempts to get a refund of this money which was a bank loan obtained for this failed transaction,” but to no avail.

“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,” he said.

“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.”