Stakeholders complain of foreign influence....
The election expected to produce a new leadership for the
National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) was yesterday shifted by
three months, to June 12, 2019.
This new date was announced after a deliberation with all
contesting stakeholders by the chairman of the electoral body, Mr. Musa Labaran
of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association (FACAN) in company of
the other members which included representative of the Federal Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Mr. Alhassan Abubakar.
However, the initial announcement of plan to shift the
election by six months was resisted by many of the delegates who complained of
not being adequately carried along by the executives; being left out of
decision to shift the election; being made to waste time and financial
resources coming to Abuja only to be told the election was being postponed was
seen as non democratic for the election.
One of the contestants, Barrister Bassey Essien insisted
that the executive had been unfair to the delegates by not carrying them along
enough and called for consultation among stakeholders to decide which way to go
on the date to be selected saying the electoral committee and the outgoing
executive cannot alone decide on the issue.
Some of the members also complained about the activities of
major big players who have perpetually worked at stopping the backward
integration policy of the government towards restoring the crop’s lost glory,
saying this is one of the great challenge confronting the development of its
production as importation continue to undermine local productivity which
farmers are the first casualty while over bearing influence of foreign palm oil
exporters was another worrisome issue to be tackled.
In response to the allegations, the chairman of the
electoral body, Mr. Musa Labaran concurred to a close-door meeting among all
interest groups, after which the announcement of shift-in-date was made.
The outgoing National President, Engr. Henry Olagunjoye said
that the new leadership must learn from the past mistakes by not allowing
gatecrashers in the sector to hijack the association, explaining that the actual farm owners should be actively
involved in the affair of the association for better positioning of the crop
for vibrant wealth creation at all the value chains.
Others present at the meeting were chairmen from states of
the Federation which includes, Mr. Tunji Ibikunle (Osun), Chief Ige Josiah
Olajunsoye (Ondo), Hon. Ugbemen (Edo), NPPAN National Secretary, Yusuf Mamman
Dantalle, Mr. Ishaq Mallam Yahaya, National Secretary of FACAN, Dr. Bello Dogodanji and Prince Peter Bakare of FACAN.
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