NATIONAL President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr. Kabiru Ibrahim, has described the appointment of the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Association by former Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, as unconstitutional.
Ibrahim, in a statement explained that Nyako, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of AFAN, failed to consult with other members of BOT before appointing the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Farouk Mudi.
This action, according to him, breached Section 11 of the AFAN Constitution.
According to him: “The registered Trustees of AFAN alive today are Admiral Nyako, Dr. Shettima Mustapha, whereas the added trustee alive after the GAF in Kano is Senator Abdullahi Adamu.”
“These two were not consulted by Nyako before he appointed the so-called caretaker committee and this is provable.”
“The decision by Nyako was unilateral and taken in his house without convening or informing any of the members of the BOT, which makes it unconstitutional.”
“There is no query to the AFAN National Executive or any letter to AFAN on any breach of the constitution regarding election from the Chairman of BOT.”
“As a matter of fact, there is no information to us of his purported action and no response to our several letters to him on the issue.”
Ibrahim further alleged that the appointed National Caretaker Committee Chairman of AFAN, Farouk Mudi, was dismissed from the AFAN Kano State Chapter, when Mudi took the Association to court after losing election in 2016 to Abdurrashid Magaji Rimin Gado.
He vowed to resist any attempt by anybody or group to put a clog in the wheel of progress of AFAN, an umbrella body of all farmers in Nigeria.
His words: Looking at the whole scenario paints a gruesome picture of intrigues and the desire to put a clog in the wheel of AFAN, which we sweat to resist and will continue to resist if need be up to the Supreme Court.”
He however accepted to use the internal conflict resolution mechanisms within the association to resolve the crises tearing the association apart.
“Today for the sake of the agricultural sector, we are ready to face an inquiry by the agriculture family to resolve this issue in the spirit of AFAN Constitution which allows for internal conflict resolution, if the enabling environment is created by genuine stakeholders.”
Recall that there has been leadership tussle between the National President of AFAN, Kabiru Ibrahim and the National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Farouk Mudi.
Mudi has insisted that the tenure of Ibrahim had expired in 2019, having been elected in 2014 for a single term of five years in line with the constitution of AFAN.
Mudi, who claims to be the new National President of AFAN, had last Thursday commissioned a parallel secretariat of the association located in Rivers Plaza, Central Business Area, Abuja.
It was gathered that apart from Admiral Nyako, the Caretaker Committee Chairman has the backing and strong support of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, who was one-time appointed as the Acting Chairman of AFAN, Kano State Chapter.
Mudi, also maintained that he was duly elected as the National President of AFAN in Kano.
SOURCE: TRIBUNE
