Perpetua Egesimba
National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) has warned the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industry to steer clear off it’s election.
NCAN during its meeting in Lagos tagged: ‘NCAN Extraordinary General Meeting,’ said it felt insulted with the permanent secretary of the Ministry’s unauthorised announcement of an association conducting NCAN election for it, tagging the act unconstitutional.
In a communique issued at the meeting over the weekend by NCAN President, Tola Faseru, NCAN announced October 16, 2019 as new date for its election.
According to Faseru, the Ministry of Trade knows nothing about the association and should therefore discard its planned election for the association slated for July 4.
“NCAN frowns and totally dissociates itself from the purported permanent secretary led Federal Ministry of Trade, election of July 4 2019 at the Federal Minister’s office. This election is totally illegal, untidy and totally against the will and voice of the members as expressed at the Abeokuta AGM of September 12, 2017.
“They should not allow few dissidents to cause division like they did in some other associations. Cashew Association speaks with one voice across all the value chain. From the farmer, the merchant down to the processor, we speak with one voice. They should be careful of who they are listening to.
“They should listen to those who have been voted for, not those who called themselves Board of Trustees that were never voted for. They just listed their names on the constitution.
“We have fine-tuned our transition and have set our date for the election to be October the 16, 2019.”
“NCAN AGM has resolved to nominate another set of BOT members for the association, given the ineffectiveness of some of the BOT members who are no longer operating in the cashew value chain.
“And bring to the notice of the Federal Government and her security agencies, the roles of certain individuals being sponsored by world trade big players to undermine and destabilise the Federal Government policy of Economy Diversification.