Concerns over Transition by Chartered Institute of Transport Administration

The leadership of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, CIOTA, is rounding up its tenure. However, the transition programme is generating concerns as the outgoing leadership announces a fresh exercise, writes Precious Ugwuzor 

The transportation sector in Nigeria is huge. Aside from road transportation, it encompasses other areas, including the lucrative maritime corridors. Its affairs are handled by the  Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIOTA). 

The body was incorporated in Nigeria in September 1986 under the Land Perpetual Succession Act Cap 98. It became chartered in 2019 and its name was changed to reflect its new status. Its National Executive Committee (NEC) is led by the Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh. He is expected to cede the leadership at the body’s next Annual General Meeting (AGM) next month.

The Council of the Institute chose Prof Innocent Ogwude as the head of an electoral panel to handle the transition process. According to the panel, the nomination of aspirants would take two weeks, complaints would be addressed in a week and campaigns would take four weeks starting from September 30. 

The election was scheduled for October 29 and the result was to be out on October 30. The swearing-in ceremony would take place at the AGM in November. The panel explained that the timetable was to enable it to conclude election matters before the AGM.  

After the screening, 16 successful candidates emerged. They were Prince Segun Obayendo, who was cleared unopposed for President; and Aminu Muktar, who was cleared unopposed for National Auditor. Others were Umar Iya and Emeka Ogwara, for the office of Deputy President, Chinda Ogbuji and Philip Okorokwo, for the office of National Secretary. Others were cleared to run as Assistant National Secretary, National Provost, National Financial Secretary and so on.

A former NIMASA DG, Ade Dosunmu, joined the race for the President at some point, but the panel screened him out because he didn’t meet the requirements. He was said to have been offered the Fellowship of the Institute last December but he did not pay the acceptance fee until he showed interest in becoming the president.

“There has been no induction ceremony, and he has no certificate,” a source said.

On October 1, the outgoing NEC met and suspended the exercise. It came up with a new timetable, a development seen by some members as a usurpation of the power of the Council.   Because some members of the outgoing NEC are also running for offices, it is considered an interested party.

NEC, in the statement suspending the exercise, said: “In compliance and fulfilling this mandate, the Electoral Committee on 31st August, 2022 officially kick-started their activities by publishing the Election Time Table, Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria. The published guidelines drew uproars and generated negative reactions from well-meaning and concerned members of the Institute. 

Some grey areas spotted therein are omission of some key elective positions like National Auditor, National Provost and Assistant National Secretary, imposition of mandatory payment for the purchase of the Nomination Forms by interested contestants without a formal approval,  one Week duration for the purchase and submission of Nomination Forms, instead of five (5) weeks to the election as stipulated in paragraph 8(c) of First Schedule of CIOTA Act 2019 and non-full disclosure of constitutional provisions on eligibility criteria to appropriately guide interested aspirants and prospective voters, especially as stipulated in Paragraph 9(a-c) of First Schedule.”

 “The National Executive Committee on noticing these complaints and cries from members, and in order to ensure that due process are followed and the that no aspirants were treated unjustly; swiftly moved to assuage the confidence of members by convening a joint meeting between the NEC and Electoral Committee. The meeting was held on Saturday 10th September, 2022 and chaired by the Deputy President at the instance of the President/Chairman of Council. After extensive deliberations, the meeting saw reasons with the cries and complaints of the members, especially as some of the published guidelines contravenes and in total disregards to the provisions of the establishment Act and the Constitution of the Institute on election matters.

“On the purchase and submission of Nomination Forms, Barr Osuala Nwagbara emphasised that in accordance with the provisions of the enabling Act, submission of nominations forms would elapse 5weeks prior to the election instead of 31st August 2022 as earlier published by the electoral panel. Consequent to the foregoing, the meeting resolved as follows: a.         That the nomination fee be reduced to N50,000 for Presidential nominations and N20,000 for other category of nominations as against the sum of N100,000; N75,000 and N50,000 earlier published. 

“b.       That all vacant elective positions should be included and re-advertised in accordance with Section 5(2) (a-f) of the establishment Act, and

Article 19 and 22 of the Constitution

“c.       That the provisions of Paragraph 9(a-c) of First Schedule and Section 6(1) of the enabling Act on the eligibility criteria for the election of the President, Deputy President and other elective positions be strictly adhered and complied to accordingly.

“d.       That submission of Nomination Forms is open to five (5) weeks to the General Meeting for election (i.e, September, 24th 2022) in compliance

to the provisions of paragraph 8(c) of First Schedule of the enabling Act, 2019.”

The statement added: “On Sunday, the 25th of September, 2022, the Electoral Committee published the names of the candidates they selected for the election. This was cheering news to NEC until members started petitioning the EXCO on perceived gross anomalies and breach of extant rules on including threats from certain quarters. The above situation compelled the National Executive Committee to convene an emergency meeting on Thursday, 29th September, 2022 to deliberate on the perceived gross anomalies and Constitutional breach as alleged by some members. On the foregoing, the two senior staff of the Secretariat were equally invited by the NEC to know their involvement in the election process and why the electoral panel undermined the Council’s authority by going public with its decisions (twice) without recourse to the established Extant Laws of the Institute as enshrined in paragraph 6, subparagraph 3 of First Schedule of the CIOTA establishment Act 2019.

“In a swift response, the Registrar stated that he was called upon by the Electoral Committee to furnish them with the information on the aspirants with a directive that it should be treated confidentially. The Registrar further stated that he attended to the request, and as well dispatched his findings to the Committee accordingly. 

In the same vein, the Admin manager when asked responded that he was not aware of any such request regarding the aspirants’ status. On further enquiry why the Registrar did not consult the President / National Executive Committee for further information before reverting to the electoral committee; he maintained that there was an instruction from the Electoral Committee that it should be treated confidentially.

“Not satisfied with the above seeming usurpation of powers / gross violation of the provisions of paragraph 6, sub-paragraph 3 of the First Schedule of the enabling Act (with special notice on the powers of the Committee), the National Executive Committee through the President /Chairman of Council expressed shock over the brazen negligence of the Electoral Eligibility Status as enshrined in Paragraph 9(a-c) of First Schedule, and condemned the inability or refusal of the Electoral Ad-hoc Committee to screen aspirants who have applied for their respective positions of interest pursuant to item No. 2 of the published electoral time table,” the statement said.

The fresh exercise expects all aspirants to sign undertaking barring them from suing the Institute. It wants all grievances to be addressed to the Institute Disciplinary Committee.  They are to also undertake to accept the outcome of the elections and adhere to the provisions of the establishment Act and the Constitution of the Institute. Failure to sign the undertaking is automatic disqualification.

With disqualification hammer dangling on their heads if they go to court, aggrieved contenders are in a  fix over their next line of action. They see the NEC as interested party and since the Disciplinary Committee is put in place by the NEC, their confidence in it is shaky.

Time will tell how the drama in the institute plays out.