The leadership of the Alumni Association of Auchi Polytechnic in a dramatic twist changed today following what was described as a deliberate and fraudulent attempt to extend the tenure of the current Executives.
The current National Executive Officers of the association who were sworn in under the leadership of Godspower Omadhebor on the 29th day of February 2020 has shown abysmal poor performance and lack of capacity to carry on with the activities. In the midst of these, it has also resolved to fraudulently elongate its tenure using the breakout of the Covid pandemic as a flimsy excuse why it could not perform in line with its promises it made to members and therefore asking for more which has been argued as impossible.
Serious accusations of financial recklessness and constitutional breaches to pursue personal selfish interest of a few has also been levied against the President General during this period. Several of these complaints to the Board of Trustees had fell into deaf ears as some of the Board members have also compromised in its oversight and supervision role over the National Executive Council (NEC). Recently the Benin Chapter President accused the BOT of being docile and this accounted for the reason for executive highhandedness of the President General who has refused to listen to the call of members of the association to do the right things at all times. The recent being the call to shelve the tour of chapters which was considered unnecessary and would involve expenses that was not budgeted for.
Recently the association had disgracefully gone ahead to endorse the candidature of Mallam Mustapha Zubair for the position of the Rector which eventually failed as a more qualified Dr. S. S. Umar eventually emerged as the Rector after a keenly contested exercise. It was alleged that the Chairman of the BOT of the Association and the President General Nnabundo Opara and Godspower Omadhebor respectively were paid huge sums of money to engage in this shameful exercise of writing to endorse a man who was the least qualified among all of them that applied for the job. The association is said to be restlessly pushing their way through to reconcile their bad behaviour and conduct with the new Rector Dr. Umar.
Interestingly four (4) Principal Officers of the association had tendered their resignations as they can no longer be seen to be acting whereas their tenure in offices had elapsed. The General Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary and Assistant General Secretary had thrown in their resignations as they have continued to insist and distant themselves from this kangaroo plan for tenure elongation that is being fraudulently sponsored.
Arising from this development, after due consultation deliberations by Critical Stakeholders of the association, a five (5)-man Caretaker Committee had been appointed and saddled with the responsibilities of immediately commencing the process of Conducting an election via an Extra-Ordinary General Meeting / AGM and appointing auditors to audit the accounts the association in line with the provisions of the constitution. Yakubu Ahmed, Prince Omokhodion Okojie, Malik Abubakar, Oshiobugie Riliwanu Bonvist and Azizi Achekuogene were appointed as members of the Caretaker Committee. While Yakubu Ahmed would act as Chairman, Oshiobugie Riliwanu Bonvist would act as Protem General Secretary.
While several petitions bothering on the operations and administration of the association by the President General and other committee members have been submitted to the relevant organs, a team of legal practitioners led by Barrister Mark Afaliokhai have been contacted to ensure that necessary legal steps are taken to further restrain the public from dealing with the old Executives.
The new Caretaker Committee shall commence work to ensure they meet the Terms of Reference to enable them restore normalcy and peace to the association.