BY PRINCEWILL EKWUJURU

The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has denied rumours of division within the fold of the institute, even as it has concluded plans to merge its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Marketing Summit to cut cost.

Chief. Luggard Aimuiwu, President of NIMN disclosed at the institute’s 2010 Annual General Meeting, which ended its 2010 fiscal year, that the rumour that the institute is riddled with division and rancour is baseless.

“Contrary to widely held belief, there’s no division or rancour within the institute’s ranks,” he said, adding that its activities were only disrupted last year by ‘those who hijacked an Academy meant for all marketers for their selfish gain’.

Continuing, he said, “without any equivocation, NIMN is at peace in all ways and ramifications. There is no leadership crisis whatsoever as claimed by the detractors. The Governing Council of the institute is still intact and solidly united without any polarization.” Aimiuwu appealed to members to join hands with the Council in its resolve at making the institute a value-creating one.

In related development, the institute said it has agreed to merge its two main annual events – its AGM and the annual Marketing Summit to cut cost in order to generate improved attendance at both events, hitherto held on separate dates.

The resolution was taken at the institute’s AGM held recently in Lagos, when one of the members, Mr. Optimistic Adekunle, suggested that the two dates be merged to enhance greater attendance and also save members costs of having to travel on separate dates to attend the events.

Adekunle, the institute’s member from Cameroun, argued that if merged, attendance at the events would be greatly enhanced since it would attract members who would have loved to attend but constrained by the cost of logistics.

‘These are major events on the institute’s calendar, which every member would, ordinarily, love to attend. But the costs of attending the events on separate dates and venues are on the high side. But if merged, it would be a relief to many members who had hitherto been scared by the cost implications of being at these events’, he argued.

The suggestion which was seconded by Ishola Olajare, from the Lagos Mainland Chapter of the institute and debated by the house and agreed upon, was later ratified by the President and Chairman of Council, Chief Lugard Aimiuwu.