Having carefully studied the widely circulated publication made by Legborsi Esaen, suspended publicity secretary of MOSOP, which he titled: “Setting The Records Straight” I want to make my representations on the issues he raised and particularly focusing on the 2015 MOSOP elections.
I’ll beg to be excused from commenting on his personal dealings with people, all of which he has bugged us with in his publication. I consider those absolutely unnecessary for our discourse on the way forward.
Esaen has made some revelations worthy of some deeper thought:
1. That all the persons he had advised in relation to contesting previous MOSOP elections have never forgiven him for his advice.
2. That he has personal issues with the current MOSOP president and attempts to mend fences with him have failed.
3. That at some point, he forgot he was Public Relations Officer of MOSOP.
4. That in July 2014, the MOSOP President had called off a congress convoked by Chief G.N.K. Gininwa on grounds that the MOSOP president was not invited for the congress.
5. That he was suspended by the MOSOP Steering Committee along with Mr. Elvis Ikoma and Rose Micheal for gross misconduct.
6. That there was an election scheduled for December 30, 2015 in which Mr Legborsi Saro Pyagbara and Chief Mike Lube Nwidobie were contestants for the presidency of MOSOP.
7. That one of the contestants, Chief. Nwidobie, distributed copies of his petition at the election venue which forced the delegates to call an emergency congress.
8. That Nwidobie’s petition centered around not being aware of election dates and not trusting the electoral committee which had the incumbent president’s aides.
9. That he (Legborsi Esaen) no longer wanted to be associated with Legborsi Pyagbara’s MOSOP notwithstanding, he accepted to serve as electoral committee chairman despite serving a suspension.
10. That he (Esaen) conducted an election at about 10am on 31st December 2015 and Chief Mike Nwidobie emerged winner haven scored 821 votes over Mr Legborsi Pyagbara who scored 186.
These thoughts throws up some issues which will form the core of my responses. I hope, by so doing to trigger your informed judgements about the truth in Esaen’s “Setting the records straight”:
1. On the constitution of an electoral committee for MOSOP elections, Article II, section 1, paragraph II of the MOSOP Constitution states that “The Central Committee(also called Steering Committee) shall meet within two weeks of the formation of the Executive Committee, or so soon, to elect members” of the executives. So elections should be conducted two weeks to the date the new executives are expected to assume office.
2. If Mike Lube claims he was not aware of election dates and time, how come he picked and submitted his intent form, submitted himself for screening, was cleared and presented himself on the election date. When called upon to deliver his manifesto, he began with the circulation of his written protest.
3. Esaen claims that Mike Lube Nwidobie’s protest triggered an emergency congress. The MOSOP constitution is clear on this. Article 5, section 2 of the MOSOP constitution spells out the composition of a congress. It states that “Compress shall comprise of members of MOSOP Executive Committee in all chapters, kingdoms, and all affiliates from national to chapter levels”. I hope Esaen hasn’t forgotten that delegates to an election are not necessarily members of an executive. Anyone can be a delegate selected from his/her kingdom or chapter. And so those who gathered for the December 30 elections did not represent MOSOP executives in all chapters, kingdoms, and affiliates as required by the constitution.
I am shocked how Esaen, as a former publicity secretary of MOSOP could reason that the delegates selected to vote could constitute themselves into a congress just to have him, a suspended officer, to replace an electoral committee that was appointed by the MOSOP Steering Committee.
4. From the constitutional provision above, was Legborsi Pyagbara presiding over the congress that appointed Esaen to be electoral committee chairman? Was Anthony Porole, the MOSOP Secretary at the time, present? Did we have Miigbara W. Tanee (Coordinator, Babbe Kingdom), Kanyone Gbaranen (Coordinator, Ban Ogoi)
Gideon Amba (Coordinator, Eleme Kingdom,) Friday Nlekawa (Coordinator, Tai Kingdom) Isreal Sor (Coordinator, Ken Khana), Lemon Isaac (Coordinator, Gokana), Sylvanus Nkinanee (Coordinator, Nyo-Khana) and Monday Nwibadee (Coordinator, Bori National Territory) all present at the congress that made Esaen electoral committee chairman? Did no one remind Esaen that he was serving a suspension and not eligible to attend a MOSOP congress?
5. Is Legborsi Esaen aware that Article 11 of the Constitution of MOSOP provides that only the Steering Committee can constitute an electoral committee for elections? Even if a congress were to constitute an electoral committee, it will amount to an effort in nullity as it clearly violates the MOSOP Constitution.
6 Legborsi Esaen must have been a super-human with unimaginable capacities to have been among the delegates despite serving a suspension, be selected to chair an electoral committee and by the following day, was able to get a congress of the Ogoni people to conduct an election and elect his friend as MOSOP President. Indeed Esaen hates Legborsi Pyagbara and never want to have anything to do with the MOSOP Pyagbara leads. Esaen clearly wouldn’t mind run a private MOSOP from the residence of a Tai high chief just to be sure he has nothing to do with Legborsi Pyagbara’s MOSOP..
7. Apart from Mike Lube Nwidobie, was there any other contestant, out of the over 200 who participated in the chapter, kingdom, affiliate and national elections, who protested the rules and constitution of the electoral committee? If there were, Esaen will need to tell us and also let us know what became the outcome of the protest.
You can all see that the entire narrative in of Legborsi Esaen’s “Setting the records straight” is completely lacking in truth and common sense and not backed by the Constitution of MOSOP.. It is therefore a nullity.. My simple advise to all is that as a people, it is time to seek forgiveness, reconciliation and work with the credible leadership of Legborsi Pyagbara executive council who remains resolute and committed to the ideals and vision of our founding fathers
Signed:
Fegalo Nsuke
Publicity Secretary
MOSOP
15th January, 2016
