Just in: Crisis Rocks Popular Association as Stakeholders Accuses National President of Tenure Elongation
TEC News!
Crisis is presently rocking a popular association known as National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, NAPPS as the National President is accused of tenure elongation which has reportedly led to series of exchange of words as legal battle looms.
TEC News correspondent reports that an announcement was made on radio in Imo State Nigeria on Thursday where an attempt to conduct a state election of which the Ministry of Education in the state waded in to stop in order to forestall the break down of law and order in the state and within the association.
The efforts of TEC News correspondent in finding out the true state of things confirmed that crisis has been rocking the association even at the national level of the body and information gathered revealed that crisis began when the National President, Cheif Yomi Otubela hosted a National Delegate Conference in Abuja in October 23rd where sensitive decisions were taken and amendment of the Association 2017 Constitution was allegedly adopted leading to the setting up of an electoral body and with order to conduct election within 30days against the 2017 90days condition.
Speaking with the North Central Public Relations Officer of the Association and a prominent member of the group in opposition of the constitution amendment with a group known as concerned members of NAPPS or The Peoples Parliament of NAPPS, Dr Abdulrahaman Adetunji, said that the National President is bent in destroying the association by doing things against the principles of the Association.
“Chief Yomi Otubela is bent in doing things against the principles of NAPPS. How can you call National Delegate Conference and propose issues that some of us are not pleased with as it is against the 2017 Constitution and we left only to go ahead to amend the Constitution to make you remain in office for another term. We cannot take that and all efforts to make him understand and embrace the peoples decision he has refused vehemently”.
Dr Adetunji further confirmed that series of letters have been written and almost all the Zonal bodies of the Association have written to disassociate themselves from the Constitution claimed so amended, with the BOT releasing a communique restricting the plan election and declare the 2023 constitution as null and void, yet, Chief Yomi Otubela has refused to yield as said by the PRO, North Central.
All efforts to speak with the National President over the matter has proven abortive as he keeps rejecting our correspondents calls.
Some members of the association confirms the crisis and all efforts is said to be on top gear in resolving the issue.
However, it is reported that counsel to the National President, Chief Yomi Otubela has written to the Board of Trustee challenging their authority over the ‘NEC’ and claims that the BOT is aware of their actions of which would be defended to conclusion. It was also captured in the letter that the constitution empowers the BOT to hold a meeting only once in a year thereby restricting the BOT convergence.
” We also wish to bring go the attention of the Board of Trustees, the provision of the NAPPS 2023 Constitution and also the defunct Constitution which on article 8(d)(i) circumscribes the meeting of the Board to once a year with the inclusion of the mandatory word “Shall”, it means that the Constitution only recognizes one meeting of the Board of Trustees in a calendar year”.
TEC News gathered that the 2017 constitution of the Association permits 4 years single tenure for all officers across board and the alleged amendment makes it 4 years double tenure. Hence the National Executive Council is instructing members of the association to conduct election within one month while the concerned NAPPS members are upholding the 2017 constitution which resists tenure above 4 years or double terms in office.
Efforts to speak with the National Secretary did not yield much either as he referred our contact to the National President and the BOT Chairman is yet to be accessed as at the time of filling this report.
‘NAPPS’ Nigeria is an association of Proprietors of Private Schools and known to be one of the highest employers of labour in Nigeria with structure in every Local Government in the country.