By Wale Akinola

The acting National Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Worldwide, Chief Williams Mkpah, has said that the purported suspension of  Boma Obuoforibo as President of INC was illegal, null, void and of no effect.

Mkpah, in a statement in  Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, advised all Ijaw sons and daughters to disregard the purported suspension, saying: “All members of INC  are enjoined to disregard the purported suspension by some National Executive Council, NEC members who have been uncomfortable with Obuoforibo’s insistence on accountability and transparency as articles of faith in running the affairs of the congress.

“The constitution of INC 2009, as amended, provides that meetings of all national organs of congress shall be summoned by the National Secretary on the directive of the president of congress. The constitution further provides that if the president refuses to summon meetings of the NEC for two months, two-thirds of the members of NEC can cause a meeting to be held.

“The said NEC meeting at which Obuoforibo was purportedly suspended was neither on the directive of the president nor was it summoned at the instance of two-thirds of the members of NEC as provided by INC constitution.  The holding of an unauthorised meeting is an act of gross misconduct as clearly defined in Article 22(vi) of INC constitution. Any decision purportedly taken at any such meeting is illegal and, therefore, unenforceable.

“The Ijaw nation should treat this ill-motivated action as the height of executive lawlessness, carefully orchestrated by those who have seen the INC as their means of livelihood.”