CIPPON CARETAKERS SET TO CONDUCT ELECTION AFTER LONG SILENCE – Juliet NNAJIOFOR-UYI
The caretakers of Chartered Institute of Professionals Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) set to conduct election for the office of the president and other executive members in the institute.
This new development came as a result of the action of aggrieved printers under the auspices of Change@CIPPON who took the boo by the horn after much consultation with the ex-embattled president of the institute- Alhaji Mohammed Lawal and his executive members to the Federal High Court under Justice Buba’s court in 2018 which granted all the prayers to the plaintiffs- Eloho Gideon, Princewill and Lanre Akintilo
Recall that one of the conditions in the judgment was to set up an interim committee to conduct an election while seeing to the affairs of the institute at the interim.
Among the interim committee members are: Lai Bankole as the Chairperson, Alhaji Yahaya Amfani, Princess Layo Okeowo-Bakare , Mr. Femi Jolaolu and Mr. Ikechukwu Okoroafor
Again, these aggrieved printers took to online platform where they started from to organize a meeting to deliberate on how to further move the industry forward and consolidate on the gains so far after a very silence period of time from the interim caretaker committee constituted.
Recently, an online meeting was held to discuss why the committee has remained silent on conducting election.
According to report reaching us, it was alleged that Alhaji Mohammed Lawal met with one of the key members of the interim committee to present an agenda for them to work with in his favour as against the true intention of setting up the committee and that might have resulted to the long silence witnessed from the committee after its set-up.
Although some printers are of the opinion that the aggrieved printers shouldn’t have gone the way they went through in trying to revive the Nigeria printing industry as these old people fought hard with their resources to get the Act enacted and should be respected for that.
In a report released by the secretary of the group – Mr. Akin ODUWOLE, it says: We are peaceful and rational people who got pushed to the wall, and we simply want the right things done. We have resolved not to stop till we see a lucrative printing industry again! It was on this WhatsApp group on November 17, 2017 that discussions started on how to rescue our industry from the tight fist of the old guard. Recall that we agreed here to select elders to help meet with ex council members to deliver our request paper (where we asked questions about their continual stay and suggestions on how to move the industry forward plus conducting elections for a new council), in a similar manner decided to head to court when it was obvious they will select themselves again.
Today there is a judgment, and a caretaker committee in place. Apart from getting an injunction to stop the 15 March 2018 proposed “kangaroo” elections, and getting judgment against the sit tight old guard, from this platform we were also able to positively set an expectation on the type of council that our CIPPON deserves.
We amongst other things highlighted daily and for a whole month “how printing can be profitable again”
We also can’t forget the first National Printers conference in collaboration with the ministry of industry, trade and investment in a hurry.
Yet again, in a similar manner, the industry needs us to deliberate on the way forward! After the judgment what next? What does the law expect from our caretaker committee? What about the threat of an appeal from the other side? And life threat of our members? We have received several calls on people spying on the house of our members; let the entire industry know that any CIPPON related issues can be directed to our offices. We have involved security agency in one of the cases, if any strange person comes to you with this pretense that they want to drop summon for appeal please deal with the person! We have a lawyer and there is no need to visit us at home! Also, we know who to hold responsible if anything happens to any of us”.
The above report was part of the agenda of the online meeting which has an outpouring participation from printers all over Nigeria.
According to Sir John Onuegbulem – Business Unit Manager Heidelberg Nigeria, he says: “All hands should be on deck to reposition CIPPON”.
Andy Esuabanga – Managing Director of Multinational Concepts: “Our industry is the live wire of every economy and forms the bedrock of the change movement at CIPPON. How long will we continue to build other economies whilst our economy languishes”?.
In addition, the Managing Director/CEO of DCS Integrated Media – Mr. Tunde Obokhai says: “Let us proceed with engaging the Interim committee on the need for an early election. Members need to renew license to continue business. We need to reposition this industry to be profitable again. Many print shops are idle. Print jobs are still going abroad . No change in tariff of importation of papers. We need to take our destiny in our hands. If an illegal council can remain in power without anything done to them, why are we trying to use legality to cause delay? He questioned
