You can’t Suspend Amb. Waiya, Bashir to KCSF BoT

Sequence to an earlier report of suspension of Ambassador Ibrahim Waiya, the Executive Director, Citizens for Development and Education (CDE), by the Kano State Civil Society Forum BOT the move has been dismissed.

In a press statement signed by Mal. Bahir A Bashir, Media Aid to Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, the report of the suspension by the BOT under the leadership of Prof. Mohammad Tabiu, suspending Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, from the membership of Kano Civil Society Forum is misleading as they lack executive power to suspend any registered organization, because membership of KCSF is organizationally based.

See the full text below 

21st Nov. 2024

To All media organizations,

PRESS STATEMENT

KANO CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM BOARD OF TRUSTEES HAS NO POWER TO SUSPEND OR DISMISS ANY BONAFIDE MEMBER OF THE KCSF, THEY NEED A COMPETENT LAWYER TO INTERPRET THEIR POWERS AND BOUNDARIES AS WE SHALL NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY ANY CALCULATED CONSPIRACY TO INSTILL FEAR IN US: WE ARE DETERMINED ON SECURING JUSTICE FOR THE EXCLUDED AND MARGINALIZED MEMBERS.

The attention of Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, the Executive Director, Citizens for Development and Education (CDE), has been drawn to a widely media report, especially on social media platforms, that the BOT under the leadership of Prof.

Mohammad Tabiu, has suspended Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, from the membership of Kano Civil Society Forum. The misguided information in the press release, published on some media platforms, was said to have been signed by one Alhaji Hamisu Isa Sherifai, who paraded himself as the Secretary of the KCSF Board.

Although, Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, is not the type of personality who has the habit of engaging in trading words with anybody, especially on trivial issues of this nature.

It is however important to make the records straight for the benefit of other innocent people who might have been misled or deceived by the media propaganda.

It is significant to note that the only crime Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, and his colleagues committed, was their objection to a kangaroo election organized by BOT to elect the new leadership of KCSF, which out of 200 registered members, at the time of the election, less than 50 organizations, participated in the Kangaroo elections, and to our surprise BOT went ahead and endorsed the drama in the name of election, an exercise we saw and consider as a total shame and dent on the civil society sector, as the elections lacked accountability, transparency, inclusiveness, acceptability, credibility and others.

It is also rather unfortunate that the BOT of the Kano Civil Society Forum, are yet to read and comprehend the content of the KCSF constitution, talk less of appreciating their powers, limitations and privileges. KCSF BOT, has no right to out rightly suspend any registered member, except on the recommendation of the Executive Council, after a thorough investigation of any offense, of which a member is accused of committing. We also wish to state that, there is nowhere in the world where, a registered Civil Society Board of Trustees (BOT), would assume the role of a day to day managerial affairs of the organization, as they have no any executive power, to suspend a registered organization, because membership of KCSF is organizationally based.

It is however unfortunate that, an average human sense of judgment shall be blindfolded due to evilly conceived intention to attack the personality of one individual person, who insists on doing the right thing through repression and oppression It is clearly spelt out even in the Nigerian constitution that, fair hearing is a fundamental right of every citizen, and a prerequisite that must be observed in the event of an allegation for the commission of an offense, for which any person is accused. We wonder how the BOT got the recommendation from the executive council, because as far as we know, the BOT anointed leadership is standing trial in a case, which some members instituted challenging the validity of the election.. It is clear that, KCSF BOT, is blinded by desperation to plant a leadership structure not minding the outcry of the majority of the members, who were disenfranchised during the electoral process, relegating and rendering the members hopeless, this is a battle which Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, is all out to fight

We wish to appeal on behalf of Amb Ibrahim Waiya, to all patriotic members of the Kano Civil Society Forum, associates, partners, friends and colleagues, from and across the country to remain calm, and to disregard all forms of calculated and negative insinuations, misleading propaganda, as well as campaign of calumny, against the person of Amb Ibrahim Waiya. We must also note that, Kano development, the North and Nigeria are the primary priority of Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, not his reputation.

The person of Amb Ibrahim Waiya, is a law abiding and peaceful, as he fights for justice and treat issues with utmost decorum and fairness. Therefore we wish to let the world know that, the purported letter of suspension of Amb. Ibrahim Waiya, holds no water, as the evilly conceived action shall be challenged in the court of law.

Signed:
Bahir A Bashir
Media Aid to Amb. Ibrahim Waiya