Constitutional Breakdown in NANS Turkish Zone Sparks Concern Among Nigerian Students in Turkey

Nigerian Students in the Turkish Republic fear for their Reputation amidst the breakdown of constitutional law and order in the NANS Turkish Zone by a sect of comrades mentioned herein.

Following the recent outcry over the poorly conducted election of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS Turkish Zone) and also hijack of the association by some elements, more tensions continue to rise within the association as there seems to be no plan to address the issues confronting the association but rather, trying to suppress the association further so as to fulfill their interests.

The atrocities committed against the association by these individuals or group remains a major obstacle and threat to the association as there are fears that it might lead to the breakdown of law and order if care is not taken. Some urgent steps need to be taken in order to avoid any escalation that might lead to a security breach that will result in destroying the reputation of both the association, Nigeria and Nigerian students in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

The person parading himself as the Senate President of the association Comrade Izuchukwu Nwamara was suspended from the association based on the recommendation of an independent panel set up by the association’s President Comrade El-Yakub Sabo Abdullahi as a result of derogatory and divisive comments and threats against another member(s) of the association and at the same time inciting hatred and promoting sentiments towards a particular tribe and religion and their members within the association. There are audio evidences of which Mr. Izu made those statements and till date he hasn’t showed any form of remorse against his actions but rather committing other atrocities against the interests of the association. On various occasions, Mr. Izu has pledged that his stay and other Comrades’ stay in the association remains to the fact that its for Igbo and he will determine who becomes the next President of the association who must be of the Igbo extraction.

Prior to his suspension from the association, 3 out of the 5 senate caucuses representing the universities under the umbrella of the association filed for the impeachment of the self-imposed senate president while he was the deputy senate president despite occupying the seat illegally as he was no longer a senator as of that time. On no event has it ever happened in the history of NANS Turkish Zone where a non-senator becomes a Deputy Senate President. Based on NANS constitution and tradition, the position of Senate President and Deputy is reserved for executive presidents of the local chapters which are are representatives from the universities. As of the time he emerged as the Deputy Senate President, he was an Acting President in his university which is in contradiction to the association’s constitution as similar issue has been raised previously in which members vying for same officer were disqualified for being in acting capacity. Mr. Izu emerged during a bye-election in which the electoral chairman in the person of Comrade Frederick Lantong on several occasions disqualified other members for being in acting capacity, went ahead to declare Mr. Izu as a Deputy Senate President despite cries from other members on such issue. Before discussing on who Mr. Frederick is and the type role he is playing in the downfall of the association, an analogy of how he made Mr. Izu a Deputy Senate President despite disqualifying another member vying for the same office just because that member failed to drop his ambition on the office as there are evidences where Mr. Frederick trying to prevent that member from contesting in which he pledged not to allow that member to occupy the seat. During the annual convention, that member was disqualified in the midst of the former president’s of the association who interpreted the law regarding the senate leadership seat.

After 2 university caucuses questioned his legitimacy to occupy the seat of the senate presidency, he went ahead to illicitly suspend the universities from the association at the same time barred them from participating in any activity that involves service to Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus, thereby depriving them from enjoying their rights and privileges as Nigerians despite these universities having good relationships with the Nigerian Embassy in Turkiye and having good number of Nigerian students in those universities.

This same person in particular who enjoys support from some people behind the scenes who are pushing him to commit those acts including an assistant professor who bears the name Dr. Evidence Akhayere who is currently employed in one of the universities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and some other people who are trying to portray and promote the association as a southern-Christian-only movement, have pledged to only allow people who are members of their church and inner circle to take the helm of the association’s affairs by any means without any regards to due process or pillars guiding the association and the constitution of the association.

In order to vividly describe this whole situation with regards to the agenda they are trying to promote in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, let’s cite an example on the recently concluded elections conducted by the impeached and suspended Deputy Senate President who is parading himself as the Senate President pledged that only an Igbo or southern person will be allowed to be the NANS Turkish Zone President from now henceforth after the tenure of the current president in the person of Comrade El-Yakub Sabo Abdullahi elapses, who happens to a “Hausa-Muslim man” from the Northern part of Nigeria which is a clear violation of both the constitution of the association and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This particular person went ahead to set up an electoral committee under the leadership of the same Comrade Frederick Lantong whose character and credibility of conducting elections remains questionable, at the same time shares the same agenda with him alongside his cohorts in holding the association to hostage without the approval of both the senate and the association’s general assembly which contradicts the laws provided for the purpose of congress and conventions. This does not only stop at that, but went ahead to set up electoral bylaws and election date without the approval of the senate majority which is another violation of the association’s constitution.

The election conducted happens to the worst and most corrupt election ever conducted in the history of the association as only few persons were allowed to participate and to contest the elections despite intentionally failing to announce the dates and procedures of the election in due time. Lots of eligible people were barred from contesting the elections as the so-called election was more of appointment by the so-called Senate President and his cohorts who share the same selfish agendas.

For 3 of the association’s consecutive years, Mr. Frederick Lantong has been conducting elections as the electoral chairman of the association despite having highly respected comrades whose characters and integrity are of no doubt. The problem is not about him conducting the elections, but the fraud and corruption that surrounds his ability to conduct a free and fair election. It is on record that Mr. Frederick Lantong intentionally disqualified a comrade contesting for the position of Senate President and Deputy President on different occasions just because that person failed to drop his ambition and move for a different position a night before the election a night before the election. He did not only stop at that, he disqualified several other aspirants previously despite fulfilling all the constitutional requirements just because they’re of different religious and ethnic backgrounds at the same time favoring other ones who have clearly violated the constitutional requirements and the electoral bylaws of the association with an example of Comrade Izu and the former Senate President Comrade Caleb Joshua who did not meet the constitutional requirements of attending at 2 out 3 conventions before occupying that seat but was declared as Senate President. Not just that, it was on record that Mr. Frederick called for the restriction on the sale of electoral forms to be open to everyone so as to limit the number of muslims contesting in that election as the larger they are among the number of contestants, the difficult it becomes for him and his clique to disqualify them from the elections.

Within the last 2 elections conducted in the association, the position of the President were conducted on opposed but elections still held for the position as all the presidents’ emerged via ballot as required by the constitution and also by tradition. But this year’s election, there was no voting that took place as only voice vote was carried out. Mr. Frederick alongside his counterparts ensured that only Mr. Opeluwaseun makes it to election by all means, they made it look like the election was unopposed but rather, other aspirants were prevented from participating in the election. Even if they participate in the election, there’s no way they will participate in an open challenge with the favored Opeluwaseun.

Aside that, all persons and groups that are opposed to those selfish and unjust practices were sidelined and prevented from the voting process despite being entitled to vote as Nigerians as they were even prevented from being at the so-called election venue. Anyways, there was no voting whether by secret or open ballot at the venue which further nullified and ridicules the idea and concept of ‘elections’.

As required by the NANS constitution and as commonly practiced by the NANS National body, the association leadership rotates to all zones under the NANS umbrella in every leadership dispensation in order to strengthen the association’s participation and carry every one along. But this year’s election took another dimension as there was no aspirant allowed to contest other than only one person who happens to be the favored one that will play the card as how its planned and protect the interests of those unscrupulous elements. The whole election was planned to be unopposed as no vote had taken place during the convention due to providing no rooms for other aspirants other than those they wanted to occupy the positions to participate in the electoral process. This has further proved a point that the newly imposed leadership in the person of Comrade Opeluwaseun Ojekemi who was declared as the president-elect is more of fulfilling the interests of absolute minority rather than working for the interests of all Nigerian students studying in the Turkish Republic zone.

Mr. Opeluwaseun is being imposed as the president of the association to be a puppet to Dr. Evidence Akhayere who happens to be an Assistant Professor at Cyprus International University and also a former President of association. This same man has been working tirelessly to see that he uses both the association and the local chapter of the university he works for, to gain more power and influence by installing his puppets to hold the leadership of the student movements via all means without having any regards to what that might lead to. This same man only cares about himself but not the interests of Nigerian students that he always claim to protect their interests. Anything that is not of benefit to him, he ensures that he uses his influence to block it no matter how beneficial it to students. He always refrains students who are not from his camp from enjoying their basic rights with a recent example of a student who previously served as a Chief of Staff to the Nigerian Student Union of the university he works, had a problem with the union’s President Comrade Henry Okonkwo, who Mr. Evidence ensured that he assumed the leadership of the union by all means, is trying all possible ways to see that he protects the image of the president who has made libelous claims, publications and defamation of character against his former chief of staff that raised an alarm over over a financial scandal by Mr. Henry. The issue of the president is in the hands of the university authority but Mr. Evidence is working tirelessly to see that the matter dies completely despite how much damage it would be to the latter as he was falsely accused and in the course of getting justice. Whenever an issue involving Nigerian students arises mostly regarding the student body and when the Coordinator of the university’s student societies tries to take action, Dr. Evidence ensures that he doesn’t by sometimes threatening to report him to university management or convincing him to let the matter go while belittling Nigerians via some remarks about how Nigerians behave and so on. This same man thinks that he hold the university to ransom and can therefore do whatever he wants to achieve his aims without facing any consequences.

The question now is, how can this kind of leadership cater for Nigerian students when all they care about is power, religious and ethnic sentiments, threats, intimidation and undermining the laws guiding the association.

As there were earlier calls by the relevant stakeholders to look into the affairs of the NANS Turkish Zone with utmost urgency, we are most importantly calling the attention of the Nigerian Embassy in Turkiye to suspend the affairs of NANS Turkish Zone in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and handpick the representatives of each university that will be responsible for communication with the embassy regarding the situation of Nigerian students in TRNC or set up a committee of pertinent individuals with integrity so as to avoid an unwanted disaster threatening the security and peace of all Nigerian students in TRNC as there are fears that if things continue like this, there are certain people who have been silent and this might lead to them being triggered which no one would want to see that happen.