GOVT BOYCOTT OF AKISAN CONVENTION: KUDOS AKISAN LEADERSHIP

By Eno Adams

Non-partisanship is the concrete wall that partitions non-profit organizations from political partisanship in the United States to strengthen public trust in the third sector, non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations including AKISAN enjoy tax-exempt status and are able to receive tax-deductible donations in exchange for not engaging in partisan activities. An organization may lose its IRS status tax-exempt status for partisan activities. Dr. Augustine Usoro, Akisan president/CEO of 1999 and 2000 conventions (Houston) was the first national president to invite a sitting governor, Obong Victor Attah, twice to the event. Since the dawn of Godswill Akpabio era in 2007, we have witnessed mind-boggling politicization and partisanship offered the state government by some AKISAN presidents, as if the organization was not guided by a set of laws. In one of the conventions, the Master of Ceremony, for the first time, was an aide of the governor, leaving most stakeholders fuming.

The politicization of the convention and yearly trooping of government officials into the United States wastes valuable millions in dollars each year, all for political purpose. Whereas 2016 convention in Philadelphia, PA, recorded the lowest number of delegates sponsored by the state government, the 2014 convention in Scottsdale, Arizona recorded the highest number of delegates to the annual event. The count this year is so far uncertain. The state government had long ‘annexed’ and penetrated the fabric of the organization, bought and paid some leaders to do its bidding.

It's laughable that Udom Emmanuel would accuse AKISAN of “politicizing” the annual event and infringes on protocol of the state leadership forgetting this is not a state agency, not a right but privilege. Some of us do not forget witnessing Mrs. Emmanuel Isong, wife of the then president/CEO of 2014 convention in Scottsdale, Arizona, personally distributing election pamphlets of candidate Udom Emmanuel. If that was not partisanship and politicizing for Udom Emmanuel in the absence of all other candidates then I don’t know what “politicizing” means. Just because the leadership and stakeholders of the organization have resisted Udom’s delegation team changing the format of the convention to suit Udom’s interest, he cries foul play. Akisan has nothing to gain from state delegates who often do not pay admission fees.

The current Chairman of APC (USA), Dr. Ndem Ndem, on convention floor in Philadelphia last year leveled Akisan leadership with selectively inviting only PDP and government in power to the annual event. When Sen. Godswill Akpabio took the floor, he accused APC of not being friendly to and supporting AKISAN, whereas PDP supports the organization. Kudos to the current leadership of AKISAN for changing course and inviting both the party in power and opposition to the convention, to remain non-partisan. In a constitutional democracy, opposition party is as important as the party in power. The rookie “selected” governor should understand we’re not living in N. Korea, China or Banana Republic but Nigeria despite her limping democracy.