AFAN dispute: Parallel office opens as FMARD absent

The dispute in All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) leadership takes another dimension with a parallel headquarters office being commissioned by the Mallam Faruk Mudi led faction at Abuja by the Deputy Governor of Kano state, Alhaji Nasiru just as officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) are not physically present but its agricultural implements for distribution were sited.

The leader of the parallel group, Alhaji Farouk Rabi’u Mudi was very excited saying the new leadership would ensure a better service for the Nigerian farmers saying the agricultural implements on ground were from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) meant to be distributed to members at the state chapters.

Mudi said the group has taken over the leadership of AFAN for good, and promised to service the association better than his predecessor who he claimed to have been dethroned by the Board of Trustees (BOT) for him to emerge as new president. Although no substantive FMARD official that we know are spotted in the commissioning last week Wednesday.

One of the important dignitaries at the commissioning of the office is the Deputy Governor, Kano state, Alhaji Nasiru Gawuna who is also the Commissioner of Agriculture who advised the new president to work harder than he did as AFAN state chairman.

Meanwhile in a statement made public on a popular Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN) platform, the main stream leader of AFAN, Architect Kabiru Ibrahim has declared the parallel group as illegal, saying a member of the Board of Trustee (BOT) alone cannot take a unilateral decision without informing other members.

According to Ibrahim ‘’ the decision by Admiral Nyako was unilateral and taken in his house without convening or informing any of the members of the BOT which makes it unconstitutional’’ adding that ‘’ there was no query to AFAN National Executive or any letter to AFAN on any breach of the constitution regarding election from the chairman of the BOT’’

Ibrahim reminded the parallel group that the trustee members of AFAN according to section 11 A of the AFAN constitution includes the ‘’ National President, the 2 Deputy Presidents, a national Officer each from the six geopolitical zones as well as the remaining living 3 members including Nyako’’

He stressed that his leadership is available for internal conflict resolution if the enabling environment is being created by genuine stakeholders while he promised to resist up the Supreme Court any attempt to put a cog on the wheel of AFAN’s progress.