The crisis rocking Joint National Association of persons with disabilities has taken another twist as two members of the BOT has distant themselves from the disclaimer filed by the Board of Trustees recently dissociating self from the two self-acclaimed Presidents alluding that the constitution in which two elections were conducted for the association is wrongly amended and as such it can’t stand as the authentic constitution of the association.
The Qualitative Magazine in its quest to unravel the misery behind the irreconcilable situation of JONAPWD interviewed a member of BOT Alhaji Nahuche A. Usman when a disclaimer distancing him and another BOT member Madam Ene the disclaimer earlier issued by BOT surfaced and he gave his perceptive on the issues. Alhaji Nahuche Usman is a deaf, a former permanent secretary in Zamfara state and a member of Board of Trustees, JONAPWD.
Sir, I want to interview you on some concerns in JONAPWD?
I will gladly grant the interview
Sir, there is a disclaimer going round which our media outfit also laid hands on and published, we assumed that You are aware of it?
Yes, I am aware of it, the truth is that the Board never sat and agreed to write the letter released by Adelabu and Omotunde. Furthermore, during our meetings called by CBM to find a way out of the problem. Two of them were advised to stop writing and they agreed and apologized.
There is another disclaimer I came across that was alleged that it is signed by you and Madam Ene, is it truly from you two?
For avoidance of doubt the board never held a meeting independently and agreed to write that letter in contention hence the disclaimer to absolve ourselves. I sent my signature electronically. I am not afraid of stating the fact. I challenge Omotunde and Adelabu to tell us where we sat and agreed as stated
Sir, In that disclaimer they released, they raised some salient points such as the constitution amended by Barrister Danlami Basharu was made for self, he didn’t follow due process and as such it lack merit and cannot be said to be the constitution of JONAPWD, the effect is that all the elections conducted using the constitution were illegal. What is your take on this important point they raised?
Well… who caused that? Weren’t they aware of that before the election of Danlami up to this time? In fact, from the very beginning. If the constitution was defective why did all parties agreed to hold the election and even participated in both Electoral Committee and Congress Planning Committee?
What is your stand on this, what do you think is the way out of this crisis since even the BOT that you are a member is also divided in this issue? How do we come out of this to ensure that JONAPWD doesn’t die?
What I think that will help us get out of this crisis is being honest with each other. The division in the BOT is because the two others are taking decisions without carrying others along.
The Chairman and Secretary of BOT have always said that you were informed of all their decision but if you say that you are not being carried along, what do you think, could be their reasons?
I challenge them to release any document to back up their claim, I don’t really know their reasons, you should ask them the question
You agreed that there is error in the constitutional amendment by Barrister Danlami just that these didn’t raise it until it was used for several elections. You said that they all accepted this perceived error and they allowed it but if I may ask, do we now continue with this error knowing fully well that it has contributed in no small measure to the crisis we are witnessing today. I ask do we move on with this faulty constitution?
Although I don’t know where the error is…My
position is that if they knew that was an error in the process of the amendment
why didn’t they raise it and see that it is rectified until after election? To
me it is an afterthought if not what is it?
By this statement, what then do you think will be done to resolve the issue, how are we going to have a way out? Will JONAPWD continue to stay without a leadership? Don’t you think that these two members of BOT are trying to return JONAPWD to a neutral state whereby there will be a new transition when these two persons claiming leadership must have step aside?
When my two other members of BOT stop writing all these letters and have an open mind and allow BOT function as one, I believe we can sort all the problem.
Do you believe in the restructuring and reformation of JONAPWD many are clamouring for?
Yes, I think if it is done in good faith and to enable JONAPWD meet the yearnings of the people with disabilities in Nigeria.
Don’t you think that for JONAPWD to be reformed and restructured, JONAPWD needs to purge itself and one way to do that is to get it right constitutionally and it has to leave its wrong old ways and introduce entirely a new way?
Yes, I believe so, because there is some vested interest who do not know the doctrine of “Let go”.
Well spoken Sir, the community expect BOT to work together for the good of many, but sir, there is rumor making round that you and Madam Ene have taken side on this issue like they said that you are holding an opinion that somebody refused to LET GO that’s why the crisis have persists. Sir, is this rumor anything to go by?
How do you say I and Ene have taken side with Ekaete?
I didn’t say so, it’s a rumor, what people are saying? I only want to know the true situation of things
Do they have proof? we only disagreed on the way they keep writing without having full board meeting. Besides doesn’t it also mean that they are taking side with Iyodo as well.
The issue here is that during one of the meeting with CBM, I and Ene were mandated to talk to Ekaette and Adelabu/omotunde were mandated to talk to Iyodo with a view of bringing them together to sort our problem and disagreement. Can in all honesty that mean I’m siding with Ekaette? Don’t it also mean Omotunde and Adelabu are also siding with Iyodo.
During the last meeting with CBM we succeed in bringing them to the table and asked them to go and discuss and revert in 2weeks the deadline is this coming Friday only for Omotunde and Adelabu to start writing everywhere where is honesty?
Sir, as a member of BOT, what promise do you have for Nigerians with disabilities on what you will do to ensure that this problem is resolved in couple of days to come?
I will only say I will do my best within the circumstances and pray that this issue is resolved. Everything on the earth has solutions. I pray that we shun sentiments. Thank you very much
Thank you, sir, for giving us your perceptive to this issue.
You’re welcome, Thank you very much
Thank you
SEE THE DISCLAIMER SIGNED BY ALHAJI NAHUCHE USMAN AND MRS ENE EDE DISTANCING THEMSELVES FROM THE DISCLAIMER FILED EARLIER BY THE BOT
