The National President of the Imo State University Amlumni Association, Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano has been suspended from office by the Board of Trustees of the Association.
The suspension letter which is coming quickly on the heels of the removal of Principal Officers of the University dated April 1, 2020, issued and signed by the Board of Trustees Chairman, Prince Chinedu Obi and his Secretary, Barrister Okwudili Ukage, but copied to the Vice Chancellor of Imo State University and other relevant authorities gave several reasons for the action. The Association leveled 14 points allegations against the President which according to the release amounted to a breach of processes and procedures of administration of such a national group.
According to the letter, the Board of Trustees took the decision to suspend the National President at an extraordinary meeting held in Owerri on Tuesday March 31, 2020, where several unsavoury and scathing remarks and observations were made of the conduct of Mr Akano.
Details of the suspension letter with the caption “Conveyance of the Resolution of the Board of Trustees for the indefinite suspension of the National President, Imo State University Alumni Association”, which was made available to the media include as follows; that the Board is embarrassed by the continued breach of processes and procedures in the administration of the Aiumni Association by the National President.
It further stated that it is notable that the President is unable to work inclusively with all members of the National Executive Council and has disregarded the strict compliance and implementation of the resolutions of the 2019 Annual General meeting in Owerri and most recently, the resolutions of the Board of Trustees in its meeting with the President in Abuja, FCT, on Saturday, February 8, 2020.
The letter also stated that the President misguided the National Executive Council into nominating and submitting his name as Representative in the Imo University Council contrary to the resolution of the Alumni Annual General Meeting (AGM), and the extant Imo State University laws and without recourse to the Board.
The release added that the President authorized the illegal collection of Alumni levy while subjecting to a 30% collection fee to the University without setting aside the white paper that suspended the collection, disregarding the guidelines set by the 2019 AGM and without recourse to the Board.
In the same vein, the release recalled that under the Presidents watch a Zenith Bank account was opened without the Board’s approval for the 2019 AGM and whose account is yet to be turned to the Board.
It noted a case of an embarrassing note to the Alumni in a recent Newspaper publication by the President on behalf of the Alumni, which the supposed co-signatory as well as the National Secretary has publicly disowned.
The Alumni Association, BoT observed that the Association is gradually derailing, politicized and losing focus as a body of professionals and that the Board, being the conscience and Trustees of the Association as well as the organ and legal entity responsible for the direct and indirect consequences of actions and inactions of the National Executive Council of the Association will not fold its hands to superintend the Alumni’s further progress in error. Furthermore, it noted that having severally called the National President to order without any corresponding compliance, the BoT is obligated to do what it has to do in the interest of the Association.
It stated that “Effective Institutions and Organizations globally”, are run under set rules and regulations, inclusivity with strategic organs in order to foster checks and balances and that processes, procedures, transparency, accountability are basic ingredients of functional institutions and central to running any organization.
Hence the Board invoked its powers under Article 26, subsection 4 (j) of the Amended Constitution of Imo State University Alumni Association, 2017, to agree that the National President, Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano is hereby suspended indefinitely and with immediate effect.
The Vice President was directed to act in the capacity of the President in line with the Constitution of the Alumni and that a committee be set up to look into the issues surrounding the suspension of the President and advise the Board accordingly.
When contacted on the boiling issue, Prince Akano, the President stated that his lawyer advised him not to comment on the development. He rather revealed that his lawyers has already written to the Board of Trustees (BoT) informing them that they have no such powers or capacity to suspend him from office and that he is awaiting the response of the Board.
