Composition and Inauguration of Pre-election Sub Committee of the COC

A Presidential Release

Composition and Inauguration of Pre-election Sub Committee of the COC

Members of the great BAA family of all cadres, today is exactly 61 days to our 2023 Convention, tagged- BAA-centrism .

And by the provisions of our latest Constitution which you passed at last year’s Annual Convention, this is one day ahead of the 60 days minimum notice we must give for any upcoming convention.

We remain indebted to Exco, BOT and CoPP for having taken proactive steps to send the first notice more than 240 days to the convention, following Exco’s meeting for Q4 last October.

With the effluxion of time, memory fades; and therefore to keep the flame alive, we unveiled a strong COC and CAC composition two months ago, and I must confess that I am humbled by the rapid and progressive steps taken by the Committees, which makes me confident that we shall have a great and memorable Convention this year.

The Exco, through the PRO and Legal Adviser had earlier circulated the new Constitution online, so members will familiarize themselves with its provisions.

However, we will not stop there as we will be bringing sub themes of the Constitutional provisions as they affect the new way of doing things in BAA from time to time.

I’m therefore pleased to release the guidelines as they relate to elections into various offices of BAA Exco in this memo.

Note that the BOT will present for your approval at the Convention nominations into the Electoral Committee, which will conduct the elections at the Convention.

Going by the provisions, every financial member seeking office is required to complete a nomination form attaching a 2 page summary of their CV, to be read by the MC or PRO at the Convention.

Such a form will be signed by at least ten Financial Members of BAA, with the member’s Branch and set also writing a character attestation in support of the member’s leadership quest.
Both the Branch and Set must also be financially up to date with BAA national obligations.

This is to reduce the chances of the emergence of rogue elements in the leadership cadre of our venerated association.

Practically, you will agree with me that the vetting process cannot be effectively carried out during the 4 days period of the convention.

To ensure proper vetting integrity and reduce ambush scenarios, I am pleased to compose a Pre-election Sub Committee of the COC, charged with:

1. Design of the election form with provisions for all the needed attestations and endorsements.
2. Checking to make sure members seeking offices, together with those supporting persons, sets and Branches are up to date with their obligations to BAA national, and are in good standing, with respect to character.
3. Getting CVs, receipts and any other supporting document as may be required, and,
4. Compiling the report on the exercise, to serve as the handshake and basis for the BOT/AGM appointed Electoral Committee to then take appropriate “drop or proceed” decisions.

This will cover any potential gap that may have otherwise been occasioned by waiting till the Convention to do all this tedious, technical but essential pre-election work.

I’m therefore pleased to nominate the following members into this subcommittee of the COC:

1. Engr Terhemen Hon (A Shell Petroleum International Awardee) – Chairman
2. Vice Chairman Gboko branch – Secretary.
3. Vice Chairman Abuja Branch – Member
4. Vice Chairman Lagos Branch – Member
5. Vice Chairman Makurdi Branch – Member
6. Barr Dooyum Tarka – Member, and,
7. Hon Tavershima Akpe – Member.

Their work would begin immediately and end at least two weeks to the beginning of the Convention or as the COC may further fine-tune.

For a quick rehash, our convention comes up from 28th June to 2nd July, 2023.

This Committee, now inaugurated, and the COC will be availing further provisions as they relate to the elections from time to time, also causing same to be put on our website for candidate and voter education and compliance purposes.

Congratulations to members of this all-important Committee and best wishes to BAA in the quest to imbibe the “Building to Last” mantra.

Let’s go, Bristow!

Manz Denga,
Chief Servant, BAA.
(2021-2023).