LETTER FROM THE ANA ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN
Dear ANA Members,
l believe that you are all aware by now of the unfortunate, if not
shameful, debacle that ended the last annual convention of our association at
Enugu. An otherwise successful reunion, from all reports, was marred in the end
by a fierce and acrimonious jostling for posts, especially at the presidential
level, such that the elections had to be suspended.
This means that, for the first time in our history, we find
ourselves in a situation where there are no formally elected officers for the
association.
Fortunately however, our constitution has been prescient on this—it
mandates that, In such a situation, the advisory council should take over the running
of the affairs of the association for a maximum period of 180 days, and to
organize within this period the proper election of officers.
I am therefore writing you now in my capacity as Chairman of the ANA
Advisory Council. The Council, after extensive consultations, has come to the
following decisions:
1. The acrimony which led to the scuttling of the elections in Enugu is
unprecedented, and is to be condemned in the strongest terms. Sanctions must
now be added to the constitution to pre-empt and punish any such recurrence in
the future;
2. The council accepts with all responsibility the burden of arranging
elections for the various empty posts as soon as possible and within our
mandate. Towards this end, it has reviewed the events at the last Convention and
decided as follows:
2i). The Electoral Committee set up to handle the elections was
illegal, and is hereby dissolved. Nowhere is it the norm, nor has it ever been
our practice, for candidates at an election to be the ones to nominate the
electoral committee. At best they can nominate their observers to
supervise and defend their interests, but not to directly handle the election
itself.
2ii). In its place, a new electoral committee is now set up which,
as the Constitution prescribes, shall consist of former presidents of the
association who are available, plus some selected female members who are
willing, and any others that may be co-opted. A lot of debate has gone into
this, as you all can imagine, and the final list I am happy to announce, consists
of the following:
Dr Jerry Agada (Chairman)
Prof Olu Obafemi
Dr Wale Okediran
Odia Ofeimun
Prof Remi Raji
Prof Akachi Ezeigbo, and
Prof May Nwoye.
2iii). The Electoral Committee is free to make its own rules and
co-opt whoever else it needs to carry out its assignment successfully.
2 iv). Members are free to send them suggestions and ideas, but the
Committee is in no way bound to accept these or be guided by them.
3 v). It is entirely within the prerogative of the Committee to
decide who shall now be allowed to contest for the available posts. Thus, for
instance, they will decide whether any of the contentious candidates who brought
us into ignominy shall be allowed to participate in the new process; whether a
new voting list of qualified members is needed from the chapters; or, indeed,
whether the new officers to be chosen shall be in office only in an interim
capacity, till the next convention, or shall be considered formally approved as
de facto officers.
In conclusion, I am hereby
appealing for calm and your maximum cooperation for the Committee while they
carry out what is really not an easy task of restoring order and dignity to the
Association. I appeal in particular that all accusations and
counter-accusations, all exchange of bitter insults and recrimination, and so
on, that are going on now over the social media in particular, be brought to an
end forthwith. Let us remember that we are writers, and that our strongest
argument for the right to be heard among our peers has always rested on our claim
of a higher morality and a clearer vision. Needless to say, our tawdry
squabbling in recent times has threatened to rob us of this claim.
Let us therefore observe a ceasefire, and give our maximum cooperation
to the new Electoral Committee and the Advisory council.
Fraternally,
Femi Osofisan.
