By Marie-Therese Nanlong, Jos

Some members of the Board of Trustees and the National Executive Council of the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria, ALPSPN have been sacked following the series of disagreements rocking the Association.

The decision was taken during an emergency general meeting where members said the impasse between the BoT and NEC had grounded their activities for some time now, making it difficult for the Association to operate.

In a communique issued at the end of the Association’s emergency general meeting and signed by its Vice President, Rev. Canon Mark Abere and the Acting National General Secretary, Kingsley Akwa, the members also accused some members of the BoT and NEC of flouting the directives of the Association’s regulators, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC in resolving the said impasse.

Among the BoT members removed are AVM M.N. Umaru (Rtd), Sir. Edwin Onah, Alhaji Musa Pindiga, Compol. Lawrence Alobi (Rtd) and Barr. Nkanor Akpatre.

According to the communique, they were removed “for not promoting the attainment of the aims and objectives of the association, not upholding the tenets of the ALPSPN 2016 Constitution and operating beyond the mandatory number of 10 members of the BoT. Contrary to the provisions of Articles XI, section I(b) and section I(d) of the ALPSPN 2016 constitution.

“They were removed for defying the directives of our regulators, NSCDC in resolving the NEC/BoT Impasse.”

However, the Association also suspended some members who wrote a petition against the National President of the Association, Barr. Wilson Esangbedo as well as for “refusing to hearken to the advice of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to withdraw the same for peace to reign in the Association.”

The communique listed those suspended indefinitely, to include the National General Secretary, Mr. Chris Adigwu, the National Treasurer, Hon. Chinedu Ogbenumole; Chairman Gombe State Chapter, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar and his Secretary, Mr. John Audu, as well as the former Borno State Chairman, Usman Ibrahim.

But the communique absolved a member, Ambassador Roy Akhidievbie, “who showed remorse and in obedience to the directives of NSCDC sent his withdrawal of the petition against the National President.”

It was gathered that “28 members voted in favour of the resolutions, five voted against and two members abstained,” even as the meeting also passed a vote of confidence on the National President and thereafter disbanded the BoT investigation panel.

Zones that are affected by the removal of their Trustees were directed to elect new Trustees and present the same at the AGM in November 2022.

Meanwhile, the sacked Secretary of the BOT described the development as “laughable” saying, “I am the Secretary of the BoT and BoT members are elected by their chapters. The BoT is not appointed and by the constitution of the Association, we are to check on the executives.

“The National President committed an infraction and the BoT set up a panel to investigate it based on the petition by some members. He was asked to step aside and allow the panel to do their work, but he did not. So, the action, as I said, is laughable and cannot stand.”