Fwd: Demand for Accountability

[Peter Obiefuna]

P

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ngozi Ayeni <onyx...@gmail.com>
Date: 28 December, 2010 7:59:26 PM MST
To: Uche Amaku <ucheam...@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: Demand for Accountability

Thanks Uche Amaku,

 

I appreciate your carefully crafted response to my email, but will like to point out some things you said.

 

Firstly you talked about "claims brought forward", that is not correct. I only raised some of the hot issues that have been  flying about and the honour lies on NAA board to eirther debunk or confirm the issues.

 

Secondly, I appreciate your step by step refutal of all the issues I brought forward. Your email shows that you have a robust knowledge of NAA affair but did not dispute that the need for accountability and transparency. What I was expecting from you is to prevail on NAA board to show Ngerians the statement of bank account. This allow Nigeria to assess the statement of income and expenditure of the association. Nigerians do not have to make personal calls or be friends to NAA leaders in order to have access to their NAA records.

 

Thirdly, please Uche Amaku, in order for you to have strong defense for the present NAA board, you should spend time to read NAA constitution. Then, you will understand the provision of SECTION VIII OF NAA CONSTITUTION. This section of the constitution empowered each member of NAA an access to NAA books and records, If NAA board members have nothing to hide, they should come clean and present our collective account to us. The books and records of NAA are not private properties of any board member. All the points you raised on behalf of NAA board will be needless if you can just tell the board to present the account of their stewardship to Nigerians and stop hiding behind unnecessary sentiment.

 

It takes more than courage to ask for accountability and transparency. People who have swallowed tranquilizing pill of gradualizism like you, will always accuse and characterize  campaigners of sanity as anti-progress elements. If my knowledge is poor as you have suggested, you should also be sincere enough to call on NAA board to prove accountability and transparency in NAA affairs. WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE REFUSING TO PRESENT NAA ACCOUNT?  WHY ARE YOU COERCING NIGERIANS TO RELY ON YOUR INFORMATION BUT NOT OUR ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS? WHY DO YOU CONSIDER  THE CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILTY A LACK OF COURAGE? Uche Amaku, WHY DO YOU THINK DOING THINGS IN THE SAME OLD WAYS WILL PRODUCE DIFFERENT RESULTS? DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE FROM NIGERIANS?

 

People like you should not allow your friendship with NAA board member to cloud your genuine sense of justice, sanity, accountability and transparency not only in NAA affairs but also in all of your dealing, going forward. 

 

 

On Tue, Dec 28, 2010 at 5:15 PM, Uche Amaku <ucheam...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Joseph,

Like many Nigerians in Edmonton will read your unsigned mail, I have just quickly read it through. I appreciate your clear and respectful use of language to address common issues of NAA. That is a credit to mature minds like you.

However, I am concerned with several of the claims your mail brought forward. First, is there anything wrong from picking up your phone and calling on the NAA president to crosscheck your claims? It appears to me as a common member like you that we can do the right things when it is necessary than providing inaccurate information and claims to NAA members to read here. Wrong information, as you know, is unhealthy and capable inciting hate and terror in community management. For example, I am aware that the NAA issues signed receipts to members whether with or without a seal. Members are encouraged to keep their receipts at all times. Receipts are issued according to common practices by community organizations in Alberta. So what is your problem with this? If any member said he or she paid and did not obtain receipt, that member has a right to ask to be issued one. No member has come up in any general meetings I have attended and made such a complaint. So what is your argument here other than to provide false allegation? Why can't you call your NAA leaders and check this out?

The second issue your mail raised is that NAA allegedly spent $50.000 for both the 50th and 25th anniversaries. I am afraid the account of this ceremony has not been presented to NAA assembly and your mail is claiming allegation. I recall I attended one of the general meetings when NAA presented its budget for the anniversaries in the amount about $48.000 for approval by the house. It was understood as a projected budget and they were corrected to provide a subsequent income and expenditure account to match with the budget. The committee was also encouraged to cut low as much as it is necessary to ensure that too much money was not spent. References to other cities such as Calgary spending about $60.00, Toronto spending about $50.00 were noted. I am waiting for the account to be presented and we will continue to provide the board the opportunity to do so. I have not heard that Board is refusing to do so and on time too.  

Thirdly, that there is a report that NAA owes $250.000 to the bank. I am not sure what the actual amount is but what I do know based on general meeting where the issue came up was that the past administration (led by Chris Koledoye) entered into such deal. The present administration inherited the debt and everyone was angry, some asked why would NAA borrow money from a bank or even seek for a line of credit and for what purposes? Surely, there was a condemnation of the loan deal by the past administration, not the present NAA as your mail claimed.

Fourthly, there is substance in your fourth claim that NAA sourced a lower cost of line of credit of which I do not know the situation to offset the expensive one the past administration handed to the present NAA board. It was at that same general meeting it was resolved through a volunteer by a member to help deal with the emerged financial crisis the past administration imposed on the current NAA. I have reacted to this because I attended several of the general meetings where the issued emerged. But it is sad to say that you presented your mail as if it is a hidden thing the NAA is fooling the house with. Let us be fair. The fourth item you raised is a very dealt with issue at the general meeting. It is no more an allegation. Up-date yourself by picking your phone and calling on your leaders to explain things as they are. Hear say is not a way to go in an educated community.

Fifthly, your number V item is ridiculous and unfounded. Community associations in Alberta are not automatically funded and I am sure NAA has not ever been funded with such amount. No one knows from where you are getting your information and NAA assembly will be happy to be informed how to access such funds to move on. Right now NAA needs money to embark on its land and housing development. Such source of funding will be breaking news to NAA assembly and I am sure the NAA board will cash on it with zeal and excitement. Again, it is important to cross check your facts before you write. Writing without correct information makes the writer to look stupid and used by others with suspicious and dubious tongues and faces.

In view of the above information and corrections, how tenable is your demand based on Section VIII of NAA constitution? My take on your claim and demand is that finding time to crosscheck information with your leaders will help before joining the numerous e-mails flying around on accountability and allegations of varying intentions.

The saddest thing with regard to your mail is that you addressed dear Nigerians with inaccurate facts. Hopefully, you will find the courage to apologize to the same as dear Nigerians for offering poor knowledge. I have replied you separately but I will appreciate you foward this reply to the entire block e-mail where your posted your information.

Uche.  
    












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Dear Nigerians,

The present predicament of NAA affair has generated sincere desire from many of my fellow country men to proffer  lasting solutions. Different causes, ranging from youths overthrow of the present administration to tribal allegiance and loyalty, have been opined. These purported causes were not without suggested solutions. Some were of the opinion that the present leadership should be dissolved, while some held the view that the present imbroglio in NAA should be resolved in house. In fact, some held strongly the view that rotational leadership is the way to go.

 

But, amidst the present labyrinth network of confusion occasioned total disregard and disrespect for voices calling for sanity by the board of NAA, we must ensure that "WE DO NOT SWEEP A DIRTY ROOM WITH A DIRTHIER BROOM". This implies that we must understand how dirty the room is? I, Ayeni Joseph, will use this medium to shine light on some of the issues that need immediate clarification from the board of NAA

 

1) NAA has been collecting membership fee without issuing receipt or in some cases issuing recepit without NAA seal. This does not give room for accountability. 

 

11) NAA allegedly spent about $50000 (fifty thousand dollars) on Nigeria day 2010 alone. What of 2009 Nigeria day, Heritage etc. It will be good if the board of NAA will make the account of the association available for member who will like to inspect it.

 

111) There is a report that NAA is owning over $250000 (Two hundred and fifty thousand dollar) as loan to a bank in Edmonton under the present board of NAA. I think NIgerians deserve to know the thruth!

 

1V)  There is report that the present NAA board is trying to get more loan/line of credit to run the association.

 

V) Every association in Alberta is funded by AGLC every year to the tone of hundred of thousands of dollars (at least $200,0000/year; two hundred thousand dollars per year). How has our association spent all the money.

 

 

In light of these sensitive issues, I will like to call on all progressive Nigerians who believe we cannot run NAA in Canada the same way Nigeria is being ruled as a country, to join me in prevailing on the board of NAA to give the account of their stewardship. This will allow us to ascertain that all the issues raised above are not happening in our dearest association.

 

In accordance with Section VIII of NAA constitution, I demand that:

 

1) The board of NAA should make available to member the statement of bank account(s) of NAA for 2009 and 2010. The statements must be certified as original by the bank. This will allow Nigerians to see both the income and expenditure sides of their association's account(s) and also to tally such with any receipt(s) or invoice(s) make available by the board.

 

11) Up-to-date statement of loan account and line on credits on behalf of NAA should be made availlable for inspection by member.

 

111) The complete list of all the members of NAA should be provided. This will debunk the bogus argument of NAA president that some genuine voices of sanity are not members of NAA.

 

Dear Nigerians, anything less that these will fail the simple test of accountability and transparency. I'm not in anyway alleging any member of NAA board for any wrong doing, but the continous attempt by NAA board to use sentiment to derail the genuine call for accountability and transparency is a worrisome development. If NAA leadership were to be a volunteer work, why would the present board members continue to impose themselves on us despite the growing desatisfaction for them among Nigerians? On a final note, reliable sources have it that the board of NAA is planning to militarize the next NAA general meeting by inviting Edmonton Police. Though this is not new, it clearly shows the desperation of the present board of NAA to remain in power at all cost by all means. I have a message for the board, nothing will separate the voices of sanity not even the threat of Police invasion or the thick wall of prison.