NiRA prepares for election after president’s demise

Eight months after the demise of its pioneer president, Mr. Ndukwe Kalu, the board of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has announced a date for the third Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of the group.

Disclosing this in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online in Lagos, the administrative secretary of NiRA, Ms Ugo Akiri, said that the AGM has been scheduled for August 26, this year.

This, she noted was to give enough time as stipulated in the constitution of the association and in consideration of other factors.

According to her the AGM would provide the opportunity for NiRA stakeholders to receive the annual financial report ended May 31, 2009 and 2010 respectively, together with the auditors reports.

She explained that the inability of the association to receive the 2009 report was due to the sudden passing away of the pioneer, NiRA president, last September in Lagos.

The Vice President, Executive Board of NIRA, Mrs. Mary Uduma was quoted as noting that the board of NiRA has decided that the third AGM, previously scheduled for Thursday, September 3, 2009 and was postponed as a result of the demise of Mr. Ndukwe Kalu, has been now scheduled for Thursday, August 26, this year.

According to the Vice President, elections into the executive board of NIRA, which had been due since 2009, would also hold at the forthcoming AGM.

She outlined some of the contestable positions in NiRA to include president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and six members of the board.

ITRealms Online recalled that presently the executive board of NiRA are made up of late Ndukwe Kalu as president, Mrs. Uduma, vice president, Mr. Vincent Akhimien secretary, Mr. Abimbola Olayinka, treasurer, while Mr. Sunday Folayan, Mr. Sikiru Shehu and Mrs. Yetunde Johnson, Mrs. Ufuoma Daro and Messrs Tope Fashedemi and Biyi Oladipo, are serving board members.

Uduma also explained that by the provisions of NiRA’s constitution, two-third members of the current Executive Board are expected to resign and their positions declared vacant.

“This would include, at least two officers of the Board, and three members of the Board,” she said, stressing that nomination of candidates to any of the positions is open for an eight-week period, which must close 21 days prior to the AGM.

Nominations for elected positions, she clarified would not be permitted from the floor of the AGM unless there is a shortfall of nominations for a position.

“Only financial members may nominate candidates or be nominated as candidates for an elected position and no member may propose their own nomination,” she declared.

Pointing out that members who are admitted into membership later than 21 days before the date of the AGM shall not be eligible to vote, explaining that a “seven-day period is stipulated for the processing of membership application.”

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