LECAN Crisis Deepens as Aggrieved Members Kick Against Vote of Confidence Passed on National Executives

Paschal Emeka, Abuja

Aggrieved members of the Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN) have rejected in its entirety, the vote of confidence passed on the Association’s National Executives recently, saying that it contravenes the extant laws of the Association.

They also called on the office of their President to maintain sanity and strictly abide by the provisions of the Association’s law.

This was contained in a letter the members sent through their legal adviser, Mbah Chinwendu ufere & co, and obtained by our Correspondent, to their President and copied to the Nigeria Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the LECAN National Leader, High Chief Otunba Dele Akintola, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissioner (EFCC).

The members urged the President to strictly adhere to their laws, and disowned in its entirety, the vote of confidence passed on the President and the entire National Executive Council at a leadership summit on 27 October 2022 in Uyo, the Akwa – Ibom state capital, which according to them, was kicked against by participants.

They stated that the participants demanded a National Delegate Conference General Meeting, being the supreme authority of the Association with equal delegates of five members from each chapter in line with Article 6 of the Association’s constitution.

The aggrieved members informed that the conference holds every four years, to conduct elections and other agendas, they reminded the President, that they were elected into office on November the 7th, 2018, and according to them their tenure has since elapsed on November the 7th, 2022.

To that effect, firstly, they told the President that Article 6 (b) (ii) prohibits him to transact any business of which notice shall have been given at any general meeting, saying that election or vote of confidence wasn’t in the agenda of the summit.

Secondly, they also reminded the officers that apart from illegalities in the acclaimed vote of confidence, they accused him of flouting the constitution: Article 6 (B) (ii), which according to them, he vowed to uphold, but failed because he did not make available audited account and balance sheet at the end of his tenure in line with Rule 55 of the law at the end of the tenure.

Thirdly, they reminded him of his failure to adhere to the Article 15 (D) (x), which says that he should conduct elections, not later than 30 days before the elapse of his tenure,

For the continued sanity and unity of the Association to be maintained, with its aims and objectives to reflect the intent of its founders, the aggrieved LECAN members demanded the constitution of the electoral committee in line with Article 15 (D) (ix); that the Secretariat be ordered to send a notice for National Conference Delegates for election and others in tandem with Article 6 (A); that the Association’s audited account be made available at the conference according to Rule 55 and that he uses 60 days after the elapsing of his tenure to ensure the appointments made after his tenure and other arbitrary functions of the national executives remain null and void. They, therefore, said that they wouldn’t hesitate to go to court, should the Office of the President fail to do what is needed, as stipulated in their constitution.

However, in another twist, a recent letter written by LECAN’s counsels: Chief O. U. Orji Esq, M.A. Gwoza Esq, Benjamin Ogbonnaya Esq, M. Akanbi Esq, and others wrote to the aggrieved members’ counsel and copied to the National President, Dr. John Ekere Etim, the National Leader, High Chief Otumba Dele Akintola, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Senate Committee on Power, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, Inspector General of Police and other relevant authorities.

They insisted that the vote of confidence passed on the national executives was strictly done in line with the Association’s laws. Debunking the claim that the vote of confidence was unconstitutionally done at a leadership summit, they maintained that it was done at a Leadership Retreat/National Delegates Conference, in line with Article 6 (b) (ii) of the LECAN’s law.