Commodity association presidents, FACAN exco disagree over election, office tenure

National Presidents of Commodity Association and the Executives of Federation of Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN) have disagreed over the tenure of FACAN executives and election of new executive.

The Commodity Association Presidents had recently dissolved the executives of FACAN after it alleged that the executive had been in office for seven years without conducting fresh election.

In a statement, the General Secretary, FACAN, Bello Nuhu Dogondaiji and the Executive Secretary, FACAN, Peter Bakare, stated that the Commodity Association Presidents have no powers to dissolve the executive of FACAN or conduct an election for the executive of FACAN.

“For the records, FACAN election took place in 2021 during which all executive members were duly elected by the financial members. Election will not be due until 2025.

“FACAN is a registered organisation governed by its constitution and Companies and Allied Matters Act. Its existence is constituted in the board of trustees by the provisions of the constitution of FACAN.

“Commodity Associations have no power to dissolve the executives of FACAN or conduct an election for the executives of FACAN. Consequently members of the public are advised to disregard any contrary views against the above,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, Dr Austin Maduka, National President, National Walnut Growers, Processors Marketers Association of Nigeria, said in 2016, they elected the executive for FACAN and according to the constitution of the association, the tenure of the president should run for four years, after which another election would be conducted.

He said following the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, the executives were given the grace to continue until things normalised.

“After that period of grace, the executive of FACAN were expected to conduct an election after serving four years, but till date, no election was conducted. Based on that, the stakeholders, who are presidents of commodity associations, deemed it fit to call the attention of FACAN executives to conduct election,” he said.

Dr Maduka further stated that a letter was sent to the executives for the meeting, but none of them was available to attend the meeting.

“This meeting is for us to call the attention of the ministry, the security agencies to tell them the decisions we are taking today. We are not fighting, but we are demanding for our right and what is right.

“The FACAN constitution says that election should be conducted after four years of the executives, but since seven years now, FACAN has not conducted any election, no dissolution of house, no appointment of electoral committee, and today we are here to inform the ministry that as stakeholders in the agricultural sector, we have decided to do what is right.

The aggrieved Commodity Association Presidents nominated six interim committee member made up of Mohammed Babayo Maina to represent Northwest; Prof Baruba Dikko, President of Sorghum Farmers represented North East; Mohammed Ali Baba represented North Central; Abdul Yusuf represented South South, Honourable Ebo Ikechukwu represented South East and Bola Oyeleke, President of Tomato farmers represented South-West.

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