By Praise Chinecherem
Members of Board Trustees (BOT) and other Stakeholders of the Association of Non-indigenes Welfare in Anambra State (ANISA) and Association of Non-Indigenes Stakeholders in Anambra State (ANIAS) have expelled one Prince Henry Chigozie Nweke from the two associations in Anambra State forthwith.
National Chairman Board of Trustees of the associations, Hon. Ferguson Okpara disclosed this shortly after a joint meeting in Awka.
He remarked that with the expulsion of Prince Henry Chigozie Nweke from the two associations (ANISA) and (ANIAS) he has ceased as the bonafide National President-General of the associations as contained in their constitution.
He however announced one High Chief Great Ikechukwu Ugwuoke as the new substantive National President-General of the Association of Non-Indigenes in Anambra State (ANISA) and Association of Non-Indigenes Stakeholders in Anambra State (ANIAS) henceforth to avoid creating lacuna in the affairs of the association in Anambra State.
The National BOT Chairman of the associations, Hon.Opkara, said that Prince Nweke was expelled from the associations and ceased as the National President-General of the associations because of abdicating his full responsibilities as the President of the associations for over three years in office in the State, noting that he handed over the affairs of the associations to him in July 2020.
Opara stated that Prince Nweke stopped carrying out the affairs of the associations in September 2020 after three years, stressing that Article 14 of their constitution stipulates the removal of anybody from office irrespective of status for failing to carry out the legitimate duty assigned to him by the associations without any tangible reasons attached to it, not to talk of abandoning the affairs of the associations for three years by a serving President.
“Anybody that abandoned the affairs of the associations as assigned to him had already aired and, such a person does not exist again as far as the constitutions of the associations are concerned, whether amended or not amended, Prince Nweke has committed a blunder.
“We resolve that Chigozie Nweke is no more our President -General and for that, High Chief Great Ikechukwu Ugwuoke is now the National President-General of ANISA and ANIAS henceforth,” he said.
Opara later announced the merger of ANISA and ANIAS as one corporate body with High Chief Ugwuoke as the National President -General, saying that the reconciliatory move recently made by the National President-General of Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), Barrister Titus Akpaudo in his office in Awka was condemnable by the BOT members of the association and stakeholders in the sense that there was no proper consultation of stakeholders of the association in Anambra state by the convener.
Okpara pointed out that Barrister Akpaudo has no prerequisite rights to initiate such a a move, saying that the association had never consulted him for the settlement of crisis among them, adding that should any case erupt among them the stakeholders of the association should rally around and put it to a stop.
He opined that convening a meeting for the association in the ASATU office in Anambra State Government House Awka was totally out of the constitution of the association and argued that when there is a problem in the association the BOT members of the association invite the Chairman, President -General, Executive Members and others involved in the case for a round table discussion for effective resolution.
Describing Barrister Akpaudo as an intruder and interloper in the affairs of the association in Anambra state, the BOT Chairman, wondered how Barrister Akpaudo should wake up from sleep and decided to decide what that does not concern him, noting that his zeal and ambition for embarking on such journey needed to be scrutinized and looked into properly by the people as something is behind such move.
Condemning the reconciliatory move made by Barrister Akpaudo in its entirety, Hon.Okpara, maintained that it would never stand as it was never held, emphasising that such a move went contrary to the constitution of association in Anambra state, hence, they are dissociating themselves from it and would never be part of it.
He, however, reminded those pestering around Barrister Akpaudo and his cohorts with the name of the association that they have already contravened the constitution, ethics and norms of the association and should cast their mind to our constitution.
In his acceptance speech as the new president-general of the merged ANISA And ANIAS in Anambra State, High Chief Great Ikechukwu Ugwuoke, thanked BOT members of the association and the stakeholders for finding him worthy of the seat.
Chief Ikechukwu, who traced the early formation stages of ANISA and ANIAS in Anambra State, said that they have unanimously written a disclaimer and petition against the proposed reconciliatory meeting convened for members of the association recently in Awka by Barrister Akpaudo
According to him, the association as a corporate body which was due registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission on 25th November 2018 with the registration number,7674469, has obtained an order of interlocutory injunction from the Anambra State High Court, Awka, restraining Prince Chigozie Nweke and his agents from parading himself as the National President -General of the association in Anambra State henceforth.
Present at the event were, the Traditional Ruler of the association in Anambra State, Igwe Amos Nkwuda, National Legal Adviser, Barrister Basil Aguigwo, Vice President, Alhaji Bello Megari, National Women Leader, Lady Ngozi Ezeh and Patron of the association in Anambra State, Comrade Ayavuga Emmanuel.
Others were the BOT member of the association, Dr Acha Ernest, Igwe’s Palace Secretary, Comrade Ekunbe, Treasurer, Michael Acha Ernest, Welfare officer, Comrade Epkuno Clement, Chief security officer, Ali Famous Yakubu, Public Relations Officer, Hon. Philip Nwagbara and the National Youth Leader, Hon Moses Agbom among others.
