Nigeria Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees (NUAAE), has set March 19th 2024, for the election of its new officials.
The National President, Comrade Simon Anchaver, made this disclosure during a stakeholders meeting held in Abuja.
He also reiterated that some members of NUAAE who were suspended by the National Executive Council (NEC) since 2021 for being involved in financial scandal are now parading themselves as National Transition Committee (NTC) of this Union, the development he said is not known to NUAAE constitution.
Anchaver noted the only way to cover that is to cause confusion in the Union. Our constitution in rule 5, subsection K gives power to NEC that, the NDC shall not be delayed for more than three months.
“Based on this, our last NEC approved three months for me to stay on before the NDC, which I say no. I am in my second term, and have been here for some time now. I want to go and rest. That is why our NDC, based on the recommendation of the Central Working Committee (CWC) was approved March 19th for our forthcoming NDC where the new officers will be elected to run the Union.
“But there are people here who are calling for transition. I want the public to know that, the kangaroo NTC they constituted outside our national Secretariat is an illegal committee, it has no place in our constitution and it is an effort in futility.
“I am still the legitimate President of Agric Union, and my tenure is coming to an end on the 19th March, 2023. So there is no basis for a transition committee which is not in our constitution. Our constitution only recognizes a caretaker committee at the end of my tenure, if the NDC is not held.
“Already, an electoral committee has been set-up. It will supprised you to know that the so called President of the supposed transition committee, Saadu Bala Gwaram who is my National Auditor was part of the NEC that took the decision of handing over in March. Just for him to go behind to orchestrate this rebellion.
“Apart from that, Gwaram who is going to retire on the second week of February can not preside over any constitutional organ of our Union, and should henceforth stop parading self as a transition president of NUAAE. Our constitution stipulates that only serving workers are constitutional members of the Union.”
According to him, there is no faction in the Union, they just want to cause mischief. How could nine state chairmen out of 36 including the FCT and few suspended NEC members challenge 28 state chairmen, the National President, and the entire NEC when they could not even form a constitutional quorum?
He maintained that 2/3 majority of 37 is 26. We have 27 state chairmen who attended our last NEC approved our extension by two months and also attended the CWC. Now that the NEC has fixed a date for election, there is no going back whether they are part of it or not, the election is going to be credible.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Union, Comrade Moses Adeusi revealed that, setting up of NTC by the mischief makers was “ill motivated and illegal.”
According to him, “Rule 8(xvii), spelt out in our Union’s constitution the number of State Executive Councils that should meet as NEC members for such NEC decision to be binding. The same constitution says it should be two third (2/3) of the State Executive Councils.
“Whereas, they decided to dissolve the Central Executive Council (CEC) and constituted NTC, and seriously erred because their population (just seven state councils) grossly felt short of the required two third as entrenched in our constitution.
“Therefore, the decision by those very states was wrong, illegal and dead on arrival. Secondly, Rule 5(K), states that the NDC, shall not be delayed for more than three months if for whatever NEC accepted reasons that the NDC. Hence, the only situation where a caretaker committee can be constituted is if after the expiration of that three months extension the NDC is unable to hold.
“Now, the three months extension that was guarantee in our constitution lapses on 16th April, 2024. Again, caretaker committee was mentioned in our constitution and not transition committee that was another area where they goofed.
“The question now is where did those individuals get their own constitution which contained NTC? Therefore, setting up of NTC was ill motivated, ill-conconcieved and illegal. For avoidance of doubt, the majority of members of our Union who were more than two third as the constitution stated ; where 26 State Executive Councils attended the NEC meeting have ratified the resolution brought to them by the CWC, supporting the guidelines for the NDC holding on March 19th,2024.”
Comrade Moses however, advised the mischief makers who are on the other side to have a rethink on their actions which were not in line with the Union’s constitution and join hands with the majority members who are eager to participate in the incoming NDC holding in March 2024.
