As a longtime political observer and commentator, over the years I
have seen so many instances where the Executives of a union/party
before a congress/convention will stage-plan or preplan what
they want their members to know, what they want them to believe, what
they want them to act-on and consequently what they want them to adopt
as a resolution or even hand-pick and install someone as their new
leader. In most cases with the help of some of their loyalists, they
end up deceiving the entire members. A good example of this is the
recent PDP Kangaroo arrangement that brought Alhaji Bamanga Tukur
(longtime Chairman, African Business Round-Table) to be the consensus
leader of the party. Little wonder though the former Executive Governor
of Lagos state Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinimbu ones redefine the PDP acronym
as People Deceiving People. Did he said deceiving? Yes, deceiving as in deception!
We
all smelt fish when we came to the University Auditorium at the time of
the Alumni meeting and discovered that the venue have been suddenly
changed to the School of Agric Conference Hall without prior notice.
When we asked for an explanation. It was said that the Alumni does not
have permission at the time to use the venue even though they
advertised it. But we all gave them the benefit of doubt and moved to
the new venue with some little resistance. The meeting officially
started around 5pm as against the slated time of 4pm, but that is
normal in Africa.
Item number 4(b) on the agenda was the
financial report between July 2009 – 14th April 2012 which was signed
and read by the Interim Financial Secretary, Dr. J. O. Oyero and
summarised here as follows. Income: up to 2008 Alumni Levy Deductions and Membership Dues was N4,421,784.52 and it was the same thing with the total income. Expenditures:
Car purchase at the rate of N2,200,000.00, maintenance, repairs and
fuelling cost N400,410.00, travelling for mobilization of chapters cost
N603,560.00, travelling for the inauguration of Port Harcourt chapter
cost N206,000.00, hosting of Alumni conference (2010 and 2012) cost
N520,000.00, wedding gift to an Alumnus N5,000.00 and, printing and
stationary N50,000.00. A total expenditure of N3,984,970.00 and a balance of N436,814.52. This report was adopted by the members of congress after a heated debate.
After so many delays it was finally time for the Election. The Acting/Protem President Dr. Abdulmojeed Tunji Ijaiya dusted the draft constitution and read from it a section that says “elections shall be by five delegates representing each chapter of the Alumni”.
Forgetting that during their four years stay in office as Protem Excos
they were only able to hurriedly inaugurated Port Harcourt chapter last
month, but even Minna chapter have not been inaugurated. By
implication, only Port Harcourt chapter are eligible to vote. It was
immediately discovered that the Port Harcourt chapter were able to send
only one person to represent them at the event! This was the beginning
of chaos, negative and positive reactions from the angry crowd.
Ladies
and gentlemen, if you can recall we have been calling on the Protem
Excos to constitute an Electoral Committee that will look at the
constitution and bring out guidelines for the election, but they
intentionally refused. We also called on them times without number to
release the Election Guidelines as it was contained in the draft
constitution, they still refused. At a point I begin to wonder if the
Freedom of Information bill have been actually passed into law by the
Nigerian National Assembly, because the Protem Excos refused to release
the vital information needed to carryout an election. Only for the
Protem President to come out and tell us that because of the above
constitutional clause the election can not hold. After that there were
so many suggestions and recommendations on the way forward must of them
preplanned. But the person that eventually
saved the day was Mr. Isaac, one time President of Physics Students, he
was popularly known as 2pac, in his usual Makavelli style moved a
motion for the immediate dissolution of the Protem Excos and to
constitute another Acting Excos that will stir the affairs of the
Alumni for the next two years. That motion was seconded by my dear
Comrade Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, the present ASUU Chairman. Which
effectively marks the end of their tenure and they where asked to
immediately vacate the high table and join other members in the crowd.
Let us not forget that the mandate given to them in 2008 was to
inaugurate many Alumni branches across the nation and also to help
design a constitution for the Alumni. Therefore, history will remember
them as the Protem Excos that spent about N4million over a period of
4years, but only bought a car and hurriedly inaugurated one local
chapter (Port Harcourt) towards the end of their tenure.
Thank
God the Vice Chancellor sent a representative the Director Advancement
and Development Office (ADO) under which the Alumni office is, Prof.
Udensi from Physics department. And also the first ever Professor
produced by the Alumni, Prof. O. Morenikeji (URP), these are the only
two people that remained on the high table. Then the Director took over
the event and called for nominations which the members nominated three
people for the post of the Acting President, they are: the unbendable
Dr. Jiya Mohammed, the young vibrant Mr. Olurotimi Kemiki and, the
other contestant is Abuja based, he was the one time adviser to former
Niger state first lady, Senator Zainab Kure. After the votes were
counted, Dr. Jiya Mohammed got 83 votes to emerged as the winner
against all odds, Mr. Olurotimi Kemiki came second with 42 votes and
the Abuja based candidate came last with 15 votes. Four other members
were also elected to join Dr. Jiya Mohammed in the new acting cabinet.
After
the election, the Director ADO reiterates the new mandate given to the
New Acting Excos under the leadership of Dr. Jiya Mohammed which are;
to amend and produce a standing constitution for the Alumni and to
inaugurates branches across the country within two years. At the close
of events, we all congratulated the new Acting Excos for their
victories, we will also not stop reminding them about the mandate given
to them. We pray God will guide them in the right direction to achieve
success, amin.
Before I roundup this commentary, I want
to say a little about the man called Mr. Olurotimi Kemiki. I did not
know him before, in short I only got to know him as a result of this
election. But within this short time of knowing him, I’m very impressed
with his democratic spirit, his vibrancy and his calmness. He was the
Former Protem Vice President of the Alumni and he contested for the
Presidency and lost honourably to a better candidate Dr. Jiya Mohammed.
Investigations shows that, during Kemiki’s tenure as Protem Vice
President in the dissolved cabinet, between him and his President it
was like the case of Obasanjo and Atiku. Against all odds he contested
for the election and lost honourably. But he demonstrated the sprit of
commitment and self-service . Bravo Kemiki!
Lastly, I
want to end with the words of the Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr.
Muazu Babangida Aliyu. After the occupy Nigeria fuel subsidy protest
turns violent in Minna, he said in a National broadcast and I quote “We
have learnt not to underrate the power of the masses and we also learnt
not to underrate the power of number because they can make you and they
can also break you!”.
Please share this piece to all your FUT Minna Alumni friends.
Thank you.
God bless FUT Minna,
God bless Nigeria.
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