Aggrieved members of the Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria, ASIMPIN
Elders’ Forum has reacted to their ousting by the President General, HRM Damian Obianigwe, even as they called on the executives to present a letter of expulsion publicly in furtherance to ascertain the authenticity of their actions.
The ASIMPIN had distanced itself from the group which recently branded itself as ASIMPIN Elders’ Forum, stressing that the Association’s constitution has no provision for Elders’ forum.
But responding on the expulsion to DAILYFOCUS NIGERIA in Lagos, one of the aggrieved members, Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick in a chat recently, urged the President General to give account of his stewardship in the last one decade and conduct a credible election to usher in new executives.
Osita who doubles as the Coordinator,Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporter Coalition (SNFFIEC) lamented that the Association is making mockery of itself as a letter would have been served to those who they want to expel and not mere talks or word of mouth.
According to Osita, letters would have been circulated to newsmen at the press conference with journalists , expressing that expulsion of members should have been in written form since it’s a corporate entity.
He urged the executives of ASIMPIN to serve those affected in the expulsion through a letter.
“Our next line of action is that you cannot say you expel somebody orally. ASIMPIN is a registered entity registered with the federal government under Corporate Affairs Commission.
“ASIMPIN can sue and be sued. And that is what made it that way. If the allegations we are saying is wrong why won’t they come out clean to say this is a fallacy let us look at it from this perspective.
“Addressing this issue of magnitude, I will say we need a letter to prove that we have been expelled.
“Aside that, they claimed that we are not members of the association but we are been expelled. Show the world that we are expelled with a letter to show that we are no longer members of the Association.
He further maintained that HRM stay in office as President General is long overdue for exit urging him to have a rethink in furtherance to organise elections.
He advised the president general that “Those behind PG are just there to confuse him and to also milk him financially”.
On the biometrics capturing and manual registration of membership, Osita further rubbished the identity card excuse of tenure extension by the executives of ASIMPIN, describing it as flimsy excuse.
He affirmed that, technology has been in existence since 2012 when the president general of the association was elected.
By Roland Ekama
