Association debunks media report of Leadership crises in NCAN

By Usman Shuaibu 

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN)has faulted a media report  of any existing new President of the Association saying no one has the constitutional rights to appoint an Interim President at  the State level.

National President of NCAN, Prince Ojo Joseph Ajanaku  stated this during a Press briefing to put  the record straight and putting things  in proper perspective in Abuja.

He said “They don’t even have the constitutional rights to say they are declaring anybody an interim President of the Association,that is not even in our constitution as such there is no leadership crises in NCAN

“I was sworn into the office by February 2021,the constitution which is still under review, has it that i will be in the office for three years,so this is why this Press conference is being called.

“We had this tenure issue before i became a President,the President I took over from,Tola Faseru came into the office 2011,handed over power to me in 2021, staying in the office for ten years.

“When he refused to leave after two tenures ,eight years in the office ,the Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment and the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN)came into the issue and it was resolved,there was an election where I emerged the President in 2019.

“He only handed over in February 2021,I was surprised when I heard that there was a court judgement being paraded because the agreement with the BoT and himself was to withdraw the case from the court , that was when we settled and he signed.

“That the tenure of an administration ends after  one year and six months, the Association doesn’t have that in the constitution,they want me out at all cost,the Association is a National entity and not a Private business, even though they have billions to spend,they will only waste it.

“The Ministry has agreed that there was no trouble in the Association anymore, We have been working with the Board of the Trustees,the highest form of the Organisation,we met in Lagos recently with every member present ,we exhaustively discussed this matter and the BoT said it was uncalled for.

“Back then, The Honorable Minister came into the meeting asking that the Permanent Secretary should see that the issue was resolved,we called for all inclusive Stakeholders Meeting which held and the former President was at the meeting ,the FACAN board members were there and members of the BoT and we all signed in 2020.

Also Speaking,Deputy National President, National Cashew Association of Nigeria,Mr Musa Shaibu said that the Association is not a State Association but a National Association and that the imposter who said he was nominated by the Kogi State Chapter

“I am from Kogi State and there was no time  the Kogi State Chapter came up with the idea of nominating somebody to take the place of a sitting President.

“Stephen Ahiaba “who claims to be appointed National President,am surprised because there was no time we agreed that ,even the Kogi Chapter has been having Leadership  Issues which I was trying to resolve as the North Central,Vice Chairman before this one came up.

“We , the members of the Kogi State Chapter are denouncing this claim in unison ,NCAN is a National body and the State decisions can not over run that of a National body .

Mr. Muhammud Kabir, Financial Secretary of NCAN stressed on the acheivements of the sitting President saying that he has acheived a lot within a very short period of time.

“Under this administration,we have had development partners come on board to provide technical assistance to producers,we have also completed a draft strategic plan (2020-2025) and initiated donor partner drive.,in short possible time Nigerian Cashew will Exporting  millions of tones with what we have put in place”,  Kabir Said