The Nigerian community in the United Kingdom has been rocked by a series of resignations, with the president of the community, Mr. Benjamin Kuti, also known as Oluomo of Derby, stepping down from his leadership role. His resignation follows mounting criticisms from members of the community regarding the management of the group and its finances.
The community’s social media group, which boasts over 75,000 members spread across the UK, frequently hosts online discussions and offline events. However, allegations of financial mismanagement have led to a breakdown of trust within the group.
Kuti took to Twitter (X) on Thursday to announce his resignation, accepting full responsibility for the group’s current issues. “I take full responsibility for the turn of events over the years, and the current unsettling state of the community,” he wrote, expressing regret for a lack of transparency and accountability.
Kuti, who founded the community, stated he was prepared to hand over leadership to a newly elected president. Despite his resignation, Kuti confirmed he would remain involved as a member of the community’s board, though he would no longer be a moderator.
Rullah, another community leader, also took responsibility for his actions, announcing that he would refund all the money he had received during his tenure. He vowed to repay the funds in installments to the community’s official account, emphasizing his commitment to rectifying the situation.
The controversy stems from allegations of financial irregularities. According to members of the Nigerian community on Twitter, the group’s expenditure surged from £9,440.41 in 2023 to £68,224.11 in 2024. Concerns were raised over various expenses, including a £7,225.65 expenditure for the 2023 end-of-year party and £5,350 allocated for community support in 2023. Members demanded explanations for the discrepancies and questioned the authenticity of the community’s financial records.
One member, Ola Dayo, pointed out the concerning rise in expenditure, while another member, Rire, suggested that the community’s official account on Twitter be deleted due to the ongoing controversies.
Despite the resignations, many members are still dissatisfied, calling for further transparency and accountability. As more leaders step down, the community faces a difficult road ahead in rebuilding trust and addressing the financial issues that have led to widespread dissatisfaction.
The Nigerian community in the UK continues to navigate this crisis, with some members holding out hope for a more accountable and transparent leadership moving forward.
Idris Ayinde
February 12, 2025 at 12:46 am
Hello – Can you kindly delete Ayinde referenced in this post as it portrays that I was part of the “leaders” of the community that resigned. I was merely a volunteer who offered to help the community prepare their financial statements in November 2024 and I completed this in January 2025 and left having delivered on my promise. My exit is in no way related to the issues ongoing.
This error all came from Punch who originally reported me as part of the leaders of the community affected. They have now revised the news to take out my name from the article.
Link to updated punch news here: https://punchng.com/mass-resignations-hit-nigerian-community-in-uk-amid-corruption-allegations/