Minister for Information & Culture Alhaji Lai Muhammed has been called upon to dissolve the current Council of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON).
According to stakeholders under the aegis of #Change@CIPPON, a Caretaker Committee should be set up to conduct a credible election for the Institute within the shortest possible time.
Speaking at an international press conference in Lagos, the stakeholders described the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) as unconstitutional, imploring the Information Minster to intervene and prevent the planned March 15, 2018 meeting.
They urged the Muhammed to protect the integrity of the Act of Parliament No. 24 of 2007 that established CIPPON, by dissolving the current Council as it is “not legally constituted and the tenure of the people parading themselves as Council members has exceeded the maximum four years concurrent tenure as stipulated by the Act.”
Mr. Olugbemi Malomo, a Council member, speaking on behalf of other stakeholders, said the Council had been in office for over a decade and “had planned an AGM with a view to conducting an election, where the law clearly stated the opposite.”
Malomo said the Council had disenfranchised majority of the stakeholders, including those who paid the prescribed fees, across the country on the planned AGM in violation of the law.
“We therefore implore the Ministry to set up an audit and a probe to investigate the over 350 million Naira paid by members in the last ten years,” Malomo said.
He further stated that: “Section (2b) of the Act dwells on the responsibility of the Minister in the composition of the governing Council. It states; ‘Five persons registered as either fellows, member or associate of the institute appointed by the Minister to represent both the Federal and State Government Printers; and…’
“”Section 3-(1) of the Act, which dwells on the provisional tenure for the governing council states, ‘The president and other members of the Council, other ex-officio members, (a) Shall each hold office for a period of two years on such terms and conditions as may be specified in their letters of appointment; and (b) Maybe re-appointed for one further period of 2 years and no more.”
The stakeholders recommended that “the ministry freezes all the accounts of CIPPON to prevent further unauthorized spending.”
They noted: “We hereby pray the Ministry to freeze all the account of the Institute with immediate effect.
“That the Ministry compels the leadership of Council to produce audited account from the last ten years.
“That all contracts award including printing of calendars should be investigated to ascertain whether due process was followed or not.
“That the list of members be immediately published as stated in the Act”.