By Gabriel Dike
This is certainly not the best of times for the University of Nigeria Alumni Association (UNAA), as two of its members are laying claim to the position of national president. Since 2015, UNAA has been enmeshed in crisis caused by a rift among members over alleged interference by the management and the former governing council in the affairs of the association.
The UNAA has two national presidents, Sir Ben Okoronkwo and Mrs. Linda Agua-Onyekwelu. Both were elected at different national conventions. The two are claiming they have more branches backing their executive committee than the other.
The crisis affected the special dinner and awards ceremony held on Thursday, July 22, 2021, by the Okoronkwo-led excutives. The guest speaker, Prof. Pat Utomi, and governing council chairman, Chief Michael Olorunfemi, attended but many guests and awardees stayed away.
The Lagos branch of UNAA opposed the event and protested against the use of the branch’s name to promote the event. It wrote a disclaimer and circulated it among members. The branch president, Sir Orji Udemezue, said in the circular: “I would like to emphasize that neither the Lagos branch nor the duly elected national officers of UNAA are aware of these mischievous events or arrangements.’’
He said the immediate past national president, Ben Okonkwo, served his tenure between 2017 and 2019 with the Lagos branch’s backing. He then alleged: “To serve a second tenure, he (Okonkwo), obtained a letter from the university’s governing council mandating UNAA to postpone its elections without regard to the constitutional independence and corporate dignity of UNAA.”
He said at UNAA’s 103rd NEC meeting/25th biennial convention in Nnewi in 2019, members decided to postpone the election, out of respect for the governing council, and the NEC appointed an interim Management Committee (IMC) with Udemezue as chairman, to run the affairs of the association pending proper election:
“Despite the expiration of his tenure and the convention decision, Okoronkwo continued to parade himself as the national president even when 11 out of his 15 national officers agreed with the decisions of the convention. It is sadly important to note that the university administration and governing council deliberately sought to subject UNAA under their control for whatever selfish reasons.
“Following several unheeded advices and admonitions to the council, the IMC went ahead to organize an election in line with its mandate and the constitutional provisions of UNAA and Agua-Onyekwelu emerged the national president of UNAA.”
IMC’s position
The IMC, in a letter to the registrar signed by Udemezue and secretary, Dim Emeka Obasi, dated December 12, 2019, recalled election for new officers was postponed based on a letter from the council on November 19, 2019.
But NEC rejected the request of the council that “status quo be maintained until peace process is concluded.” It affirmed that acceding to the request would set a bad precedence as unscrupulous and mischievous officers of the association could take advantage of such to perpetuate themselves in office. It reminded the council that the tenure of the national executive committee, led by Okoronkwo ended November 30, 2019, and his executives dissolved.
IMC stated that with the dissolution of Okoronkwo-led executives, NEC followed UNAA constitution to set up IMC: “Other committee members are Prof Clement Ezechukwu Augustina Idioha and Andrew Duku to run the affairs of UNAA for three months.” It urged the council to disregard a letter by the immediate national executive of UNAA because its “tenure extension was not ratified by NEC.
“It is imperative to note at this juncture, that the UNAA is an independent and very willing partner with the university in the furtherance of the ideals of the university as well as the pursuit of actions and ideas that would continually elevate the status of UNAA.
“It is therefore mischievous for any officer of UNAA to resort to the use of the governing council to achieve any selfish interest of tenure elongation or sit tight practice and consequently damage the system of UNAA.”
In another letter on August 20, 2020, to the council, the IMC said: “We strongly believe that if the council’s intention is handled fairly transparent and honestly, most of all parties involved in the current crisis would eagerly come together to forge a better future for our dear UNAA.
“It is worrisome, unconstitutional and outright mischievous for the council to continue addressing or recognizing or relating with Okoronkwo as UNAA national president, despite appropriate notice to the council vide our reference letter dated December 12, 2019.”
The Education Report gathered that one of the demands of UNAA stakeholders is that the former UNAA president should give account of his stewardship. Based on the inability of the council to meet the demands of UNAA members, IMC in another letter dated September 4, 2020, withdrew the mandate granted the council to conduct elections:
‘’IMC being the body constitutionally set up by UNAA’s 25th National Convention has taken over the process of electing the national officers of our cherished alumni association. We implore you to seek wise counsel and stop the further wastage of the resources of our dear university.”.”
Okorokwo’s reaction
Okoronkwo insisted that he is still the national president: “When people lose election, instead of joining the main stream UNAA, they are busy trying to discredit election they participated. After my first tenure, I re-contested and won. Twenty-four branches attended and at the end of the election I won and we were sworn in.
“On January 17, 2020, the council invited UNAA stakeholders and it was agreed that council should continue with the election. Out of 32 branches, only two kicked against the election.
“Nothing like IMC was constituted at Nnewi. When their letter came requesting for postponement, many had bought election forms. Stakeholders called for a meeting and it was agreed that election should go ahead.
“The 104th NEC meeting in Owerri, Imo State, in July 2021, was for those who failed the October 2020 election. My executive committee is in charge of UNAA secretariat.
“During the Diamond Jubilee celebration of UNN, I was introduced as UNAA national president. At the recent convocation ceremony, I was the one that inaugurated over 14,000 new alumni members.” He described the recent special dinner award event in Lagos as “a huge success despite attempt to scuttle the event.”
On the use of the name of Lagos branch on the invitation cards, Okoronkwo said when the planning committee made a mistake it had to be amended: “How can a branch ask UNAA national executive why they are coming to Lagos for the event? They failed in their attempt to stop the programme.”
As it is now, hope of resolving the UNAA crisis lies with the new governing council led by Chief Ikechi Emenike. Stakeholders expect that as soon as the council is inaugurated by the Minister of Education, its major task would be to address the alumni crisis.
The Education Report called Olorunfemi thrice to react to the alleged support for Okoronkwo’s faction by the governing council during his chairmanship. And thrice he did not respond to the calls.