Press Release dated 18 August, 2019

NIDO Americas USA Reaffirms its Position

Fellow NIDO Americas USA members, the NIDOA USA Board of Directors under the aegis of Nigerians in Diaspora organization Americas (NIDOA) USA expresses dissatisfaction and condemns the activities of the NIDOA Board of Trustees members (BOT). A resolution was sent out on July 30, 2019 reaffirming our decisions on the ongoing illegalities perpetrated by BOT in our organization. It is unfortunate that NIDOA remains in a state worse than the prior April 13th reconciliation meeting held at the embassy of Nigeria and chaired by the Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States, H.E. Amb. Sylvanus Nsosfor. Some Members of the BOT residing in the U.S. insulted the great efforts of the Embassy and Consulates during the meeting and never yielded to the Communique. BOT violates the bylaws, usurps power and consistently undermine the USA Board and chapters. Status quo ante resolution 7(iv) breached by BOT forming a parallel illegal Board.

We advise all NIDOA USA chapters, stakeholders, partners and general public that NIDOA USA have not conducted any election and so do not have new Executive Board Members. Do not be deceived by those who formed an illegal interim group and was dissolved by the Embassy of Nigeria, New York Consulate and Atlanta Consulate on April 13, 2019 at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC. These individuals are acting out of frustration, claimed to have signed the reconciliation Communique just to have access and remain in power to destroy NIDOA/NIDOA USA. Our resolution still stands and state that regarding the 2019 elections, the Board re-affirmed its earlier position that compliance with the NIDOA Bylaws and established standards is a prerequisite for the conduct of credible elections acceptable to the Board. The published 2019 one-man Central Electoral Committee (CEC) Guidelines is not in accordance with NIDOA Bylaws as it relies on a contradictory advisory opinion and has been deemed to NOT be binding on NIDOA USA.

NIDO Americas USA in a bid to save and stabilize the national body advises the general membership, stakeholders and partners as follows;

  1. NIDO Americas USA financial team did not receive financial remittances and chapter members information and so no chapter was certified to be eligible for election.
  2. The BOT and CEC invaded and undermined the authority of the USA national Board with false allegations and by asking the chapters to send promissory note and chapter information directly to them which is a violation of our bylaws. It is the duty of the national board to receive remittances and members information directly from chapters and districts, certify the chapters and send chapter information of those eligible to vote and be voted for to the CEC.
  3. The CEC appointed by the BOT refused to work with NIDOA USA Executive Board to obtain the necessary materials needed to be able to conduct a credible election. This would have resulted in the provision of up-to-date materials, inclusion of fully paid Chapters like Southern California and Florida, as well as obtaining a list of chapters that had been properly vetted in accordance with the Bylaws. Instead, the one-man electoral committee chose to proceed with an election that included un-vetted “promissory note” chapters to the exclusion of fully paid chapters, suspended members, term limited members and demanded compliance with the Essien non-binding advisory opinion as a condition for participation in the election – all actions that usurped the Bylaw requirements, and prior established NIDOA standards, procedures, and practice.
  4. The action of the BOT, Legal Adviser, and CEC on the use of promissory note, meaning vote on credit and pay later. A fast way to destroy NIDOA/USA. If the structure is not followed abuse = death is inevitable.
  5. The guidelines in accordance to the bylaws MUST be followed to have a credible and acceptable election.
  6. NIDOA USA have not conducted any election and do not have any new Executive Board
  7. Suspended Board members are not eligible to vote or be voted for. Some of them have spent the specified 4 years on the board and not eligible to be on any Board members.
  8. NIDOA USA current Executive Board was voted in on October 20, 2017, result announced October 21, 2017, sworn in on our first Conference call meeting by Mr. Essien on November 12 and had a formal presentation of the Executive Board Members on December 16, 2017. The term duration for each administration is 2 years!
  9. NIDOA USA has no representation on the selected bylaw committee and so not aware of the deliberations, have no input and do not know what is being amended.
  10. The AGM is fueled by the malpractice of suspended members and those violating the bylaws. You are advised that nothing done at the AGM is binding on NIDOA.
  11. NIDOA USA Elections would be conducted as soon as we strengthen our chapters, receive remittances from chapters and certify the chapter representatives as eligible to vote and be voted.
  12. The current NIDOA USA Leadership remains intact until a credible election is conducted.

Signed:

Ms. Patience N. Key
Chairman, Board of Directors

Dr. George Nwogu
General Secretary

Mr. Ovie Mukoro
Treasurer

Dr. Ndubueze Chuku
Financial Secretary