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Tag: Congress

  • Dance Congress calls for application

    Dance Congress calls for application

    Contemporary choreography institute, Dance Congress, has invited artists, theorists and students working with dance to apply with questions and issues, work projects and case studies from their respective practices.

    The move is in line with the fourth edition of the project, which organizers have announced will take place in Hanover, Germany, from June 16 to 19, 2016.

    The forum discusses and presents dance, choreography and movement in theory and practice.

    Dance Congress 2016 will however; particularly address the subject of contemporary issues in the development of dance and choreography.

    According to the organisers, the call for proposals only accepts applications from groups, as individual submissions will not be considered.

    ‘We explicitly invite contributions that critically reflect upon and/or in some way,  work to modify familiar conventions and formats.’

    The deadline for submission is Tuesday, 26th May 2015 and proposals in German or English should be sent to proposal@tanzkongress.de

  • Congress’ outcome causes stir at institute

    They all demanded a congress but students of Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) in Ogba, Lagos were not happy with the outcome of the meeting, held on the institution’s campus on Thursday.

    The congress was called by members of Student Representatives’ Congress (SRC), following a growing discontent among the students over certain policies of the management. But, those who turned up at the meeting said the absence of majority of the students cast doubt on the necessity of the congress.

    The SRC Chairman, Dayo Oladiti, implored those at the congress to express their minds on what they felt should be changed in the school. He listed areas of interest to the attendees where they may ask questions.

    He said questions that could not be answered would be relayed to the management for clarification. Oladiti addressed some of the grievances of the students, including N5,000 penalty for late registration, unhygienic cafeteria, high school fee and additional charges for medical test, among others.

    Despite the explanation by the SRC leaders, students still felt the congress was not properly constituted because opinions of majority were not taken.

    A student, Paul Samuel, said: “The congress is a complete nonsense, because majority of students were not present, especially the part-time and Higher National Diploma students.”

    A student, who did not give his name, said: “The congress is not properly called because every issue we discussed there won’t be referred to the management and those that will be referred would have been manipulated on the way.”

    Arafat Sadiq said although it was good for students to meet on challenges they face but urged the SRC to ensure a majority are carried along.

  • Plateau PDP chieftains complain about flawed congress

    Plateau PDP chieftains complain about flawed congress

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains In Plateau State have said that the party held a flawed local government congress because forms for delegates were hoarded by sonme leaders.

    They said the governor, Jonah jang, did not ensure a level-playing ground during the congress.

    Party members who were denied access to delegates’ forms when they visited the party secretariat alleged that they were told that the forms have been exhausted.

    Aggrieved chieftains Hon. Emmanuel Gyang Choji from Barkin Ladi Local Government and Hon. Bitrus Goshit said the congress was not transparent.

    Choji said: “In total disregard for guidelines for a successful delegate congress of the PDP, a  plot was hatched by Governor Jang to manipulate the delegate congress.

    He also alleged that  key party leaders hijacked the sales of the forms and distributed them to selected delegates.

    Choji added: “With this development, some prospective delegates, who came to the party secretariat to purchase the forms were told that they will be given the forms at their various wards during the congress.

    “Jang has raised a six-man committee, comprising of his political appointees to select the names of loyalists that will given the forms to fill.

    “The six-man committee of each local government has been instructed to come up with three names as the local government representing the local governments.”

  • PDP congress held amid protests

    PDP congress held amid protests

    •Anyanwu kicks as Ihedioha, others hail exercise 

    The delegates congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was held on Saturday in Imo State amid protests.

    But House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, who participated in the exercise at Mbutu Ward in Aboh Mbaise Local Government, described the congress as peaceful.

    However, Senator Chris Anyanwu, a PDP governorship aspirant, who led her supporters in a protest against the alleged manipulation of the process by some chieftains, called for a fresh congress.

    The exercise was peaceful at most of the wards in the 27 local governments, besides reported cases of late arrival and diversion of materials, as well as minor clashes among supporters of governorship aspirants.

    At Ikenegbu Ward 1 in Owerri Municipal Council Area, aggrieved members  held the ward chairman hostage when it was discovered that the names of the supposed delegates were forwarded to the party leadership a day before the congress.

    In Ngor Okpala Local Government, the exercise could not hold in some wards, following the alleged removal of materials by the former council PDP chairman.

    An aggrieved member and a former Chief Press Secretary to the ex-Governor, Henry Ekpe, whose name was removed from the list of voters, said it was done to disenfranchise those who the party leaders felt would not work for one of the governorship aspirants.

    The situation was the same in Ideato South Local Government where the former state Chairman of the party and the National Chairman of the National Population Commission, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), was alleged to have insisted on producing the delegates.

    The Nation learnt that most of the governorship aspirants opposed the exercise because more than 80 per cent of those who emerged as winners were loyalists of Ihedioha.

  • Kwara group alleges imposition of delegates

    •Another threatens mass defection

    Discordant tunes have trailed the last Saturday ward congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state.

    Dissatisfied with the result two groups named Kwara Democratic Assembly and Kwara Think Thank have alleged impunity and imposition of delegates.

    Leader of Kwara Think Thank, Adams Aliyu warned leadership of the PDP in the state against tampering with the results of congress or risks mass defection.

    The group said there were alleged “desperate nocturnal bid to tamper with the official results of the PDP ward congress across the state, particularly in Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Asa, Oke-ero and some other areas in the state.”

    He warned that any attempt to subvert the will of the electorates in the party will be sternly resisted.

    “Some leaders of the party in the state, apparently acting on the instructions of some Abuja-based politicians have been trying unsuccessfully to substitute the results of the congress from across the sixteen local government Areas of the state, particularly in Ilorin East, Ilorin West, Asa, Oke-ero and other parts of the state for obvious narrow interest.”

    “We urge the national leadership of our great party, the PDP, to immediately call these people to order before they all plunge the party into monumental crisis that may affect the fortunes of the party in the state.

    “The reason for our membership of the PDP is hinged on the promise of equity and fairness. There has been nothing, until now, that threatens our resolve on the PDP.”

    “If our concerns are not addressed as quickly as possibly by all concerned, we shall be left with no other option than to seek refuse in other places where our struggle for freedom from imposition and undemocratic tendencies will be protected an guaranteed.”

    Also in statement, President of Kwara Democratic Assembly, Comrade Kazeem Abiola “developments and reports across the state indicate a grand conspiracy to doctor the results of the ward congress held last Saturday in the state.

    “This impunity is in furtherance of widespread flagrant denial of due process and imposition of delegates under some dubious consensus arrangement. We owe it a duty to warn of an emerging grave danger with the fraudulent distortion and elimination by substitution of elected delegates from the 193 wards in Kwara state.

    This manipulation is being perpetrated under the watchful eyes of the executive members of the party at the PDP state secretariat from Saturday night when results were turned in.

    “This fraud, we are afraid, is capable of precipitating a crisis that may kill the chances of PDP in this state unless we resist it.

    “It is pertinent to warn that if we allow any alteration in the list of duly elected delegates, the PDP would be laying a strong foundation for crisis and a destructive implosion in Kwara state. This will be a bad omen for PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the coming general elections.

    “Ward chairmen are advised to prevail on the PDP local government chairmen to defend the peoples’ verdict and insist on the genuine list of elected delegates from the various wards.

    “We also call on all lovers of PDP at the state and national level, the PDP National Working Committee and President Jonathan to intervene quickly and save Kwara PDP from the hands of those bent on pursuing mere self interest and pecuniary gains.”

     

    Belgore hails congress

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Kwara State, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), has hailed the “peaceful and democratic” conduct of the Saturday ward congress in the state.

    Belgore also praised the Senator Iyiola Omisore committee, which supervised the election, for its maturity and transparency.

    The lawyer was the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

    He said: “This is to commend the peaceful and democratic conduct of the ward delegates election in Kwara State on Saturday.”

    In a statement by the governorship aspirant media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye said: “As could be seen by unbiased observers of the process, the conduct of the delegate elections satisfied the test of electoral integrity as every party member with requisite accreditation fully participated in the exercise without let or hindrance. I congratulate all members of our great party for this feat!

    “We commend the quality leadership of Senator Iyiola Omisore who led the committee of great party officials who conducted the exercise. The committee’s non-partisanship and maturity served to ensure a generally orderly and representative exercise.

    “Stakeholders and members of Kwara PDP family deserve a pat on the back for their patience and commitment which ensured that the delegates’ election was a huge success. This demonstrates our people’s thirst for positive change and people-driven governance in our state.”

  • PDP congress: Senator decries Alao-Akala’s tearing of ballot papers

    PDP congress: Senator decries Alao-Akala’s tearing of ballot papers

    •Filani protests illegal imposition of candidate

    Senate Deputy Whip Hosea Agboola has described the tearing of ballot papers by former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala at the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Southwest zonal congress as “a show of shame.”

    Agboola spoke in Ibadan at the weekend in reaction to the former governor’s alleged action and outbursts over the purported removal of the name of his candidate as a zonal youth leader at the party’s congress by “some forces that were against him.”

    The development nearly turned the congress, which was held last Saturday at the Apex Multipurpose Hall, Agodi in the state capital into a pandemonium when Alao-Akala expressed his dissatisfaction with the conduct of the election and angrily collected the ballot papers from the state’s delegates and tore them up.

    The former governor was shouting as he expressed his grieviance to the Chairman, Screening Committee of the congress, Senator Emmanuel Anozike and the financier and Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the PDP, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

    But speaking, Agboola denied playing a fast game on his former boss (Alao-Akala).

    He said: “I was casting my votes for aspirants of my choice when he emerged from my back and tore the ballot paper in my hand. It beats my imagination that a person of former governor’s status could resort to self-help in a matter as this.

    “His action caught me unawares because I never expected it and the truth was that we reasoned that since he, like some of us, was instrumental to the formation of the state executive under Yinka Taiwo’s leadership, there was the need for us to allow the Minister of State for FCT, Jumoke Akinjide, whose people were not included in the state executive, to present the candidate for the office of the party’s zonal youth leader, to give them sense of belonging.

    “The party is bigger than everyone of us and as for me, we should eschew bitterness and unhealthy rivalry if we genuinely have the interest of our party at heart. It is high time all of us joined President Goodluck Jonathan in his transformation agenda beyond 2015. And that is what we have been doing with Senator Folarin and Hon. Muraina Ajibola among others in the last few weeks.”

    The congress would have turned violent if not for the quick intervention of the Ekiti State governor-elect, Mr. Ayo Fayose and Kashamu, who pacified Alao-Akala and later called a meeting to resolve the issue.

    The Southwest Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP, Chief Ishola Filani also protested the imposition of a late aspirant at the congress.

    Filani, who appeared briefly at the venue, presented his protest letter to the chairman of the congress committee.

    He also copied the party’s national chairman; the chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief of Staff to the President, Governor Segun Mimiko, Governor-elect of Ekiti State Mr. Ayo Fayose and the party’s Board of Trustees in the zone through Chief Olabode George.

    The aggrieved PDP chieftain noted that till last Thursday, he was the only aspirant contesting the National vice-chairman Southwest.

    But some undisclosed forces imposed the present the Chairman of PDP in Ekiti State, Mr. Makanjuola Ogundipe, against him, which he said, was a breach of the party’s constitution.

  • NFF Congress holds in Abuja today

    NFF Congress holds in Abuja today

    The Aminu Maigari-led faction of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has concluded plans to hold a General Assembly in a yet to be publicised venue in Abuja today.

    This decision which was arrived at last night was backed by the chairman of the Federal House of Representatives’ committee on sports, Godfrey Gaiya.

    Gaiya, a participant at last night’s meeting, declared his personal support for a peacefully and legally constituted Congress today.

    NationSport was at the group’s pre-General Assembly meeting held at Bentley Hotels, Utako, yesterday night.

    The participants at the well-attended gathering of football associations’ chairmen comprising the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, were unanimous in their decision to hold the Congress today.

    The meeting which was co-moderated by Ekiti State FA Chairman, Isaac Ayodele and Abia State FA boss, Ephraim Chukwuemeka first made a roll call of the States FAs representatives. This was greeted with a loud ovation.

    Ayodele, who requested for protection from the House of Representatives for participants of the Congress fixed for today, read out FIFA’s letter that stated that the embattled Chris Giwa-led NFF should vacate office and a new election should be conducted latest Monday, September 8, 2014 which was greeted again by loud cheers.

    Speaking after the meeting, the chairman of the House of Representatives committee on sports, Gaiya, said although he supported the legal gathering and the Congress, he would still have to make the House’s position known in a statement to be issued by 11am today.

    Afterwards another football stakeholder told NationSport that he was sure that “the crisis would be finally resolved tomorrow (today) and I believe that a proper election that will usher in the popular choice of football stakeholders will be held.”

  • You shouldn’t have stayed away from Congress, Minister faults Maigari led NFF faction

    You shouldn’t have stayed away from Congress, Minister faults Maigari led NFF faction

    The Sports Minister,  Tammy Danagogo has  faulted the action of the Aminu Maigari led faction that stayed away from participating in the August 26th Congress that later turned to election that ushered in Christopher Giwa led new Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

    He argued that the feuding faction could have used their numerical strength to sway decision in their favour instead of choosing to stay away from the Congress in the first place.

    “Our greatest challenge in this whole brouhaha is that most people involved are not sincere, they are not gentlemanly enough, and they are not honourable enough. Most people are just looking at winning at all cost and that has been my greatest challenge as regards this issue.

    “We had agreed that five persons are going to contest the (NFF Presidential) election. So let the five persons contest and whoever wins, win. Agreements were reached but before the election, in fact, most of you who are journalists even know all these things before me.

    “But by the eve of the election resolutions were being passed with money and (some people) have also signed extension of tenure. That was a very, very provocative and wrong step that was being taken. That has metamorphosed into what we are seeing now. So we had to step in to stop that cause of trying to impose somebody or extending tenures. Then after stopping it people now reacted in different ways.

    “During my address I had to recap what we agreed before we came to the Congress. The unfortunate mistake is that this other group that went to meet somewhere should have been at that place (Chida Hotel Congress venue). If you notice when I was coming to the Congress place I was talking on phone, I was talking to the other group then and I was telling them that the only way for evil not to prevail is for good men to stand up to do something.

    “You will not just walk out (of the Congress) you don’t need to go and stay on the road protesting but come into the hall and address the issue the way it happened and so that all you will be able to say let us follow what we agreed on. We were expecting them to come but they didn’t come (to the venue of the Congress) until I left there. I also heard that they didn’t come until Mike (Umeh) declared the event open and I heard that they now moved a motion that the agenda was to go back to the original plan of holding election

    “Then they held the election and Umeh lost and so on and so forth. I want to imagine that after my address if the other 30 people that I heard met somewhere (in Abuja) had joined the other delegates present at the Congress venue maybe the plan to conduct the election could have failed. The way to correct a system is not to quarrel; it is not to go out and castigate, but to sit down and discuss to resolve the issue,” the Minister stated.

  • NFF congress moved to Abuja

    NFF congress moved to Abuja

    The general assembly of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has  been moved to Abuja from Warri, but it will not be an elective congress.

    This decision was agreed after a meeting with top government officials on Sunday in Abuja.

    AfricanFootball.com has gathered that against the orders of Sports Minister Tammy Danagogo that NFF elections be conducted on Tuesday in Abuja, the meeting agreed that the highest ruling body of Nigerian football will now design a road map for the elections to take place not later than two weeks after the general assembly.

    The 44-man congress is expected to deal with the integrity issues concerning an electoral committee headed by Amoni Biambo and ensure that all those who are interested in vying for positions on the executive committee are given the chance to do so as against the previous experience where nomination forms were sneaked to only a select few.

    The congress will also decide on a coach for the country’s two 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa next month after a new contract has not been finalised with Stephen Keshi.

    Before Sunday’s meeting, Nigerian football had risked another FIFA  ban two months after the country was suspended again on account of direct government interference.

  • NFF: Purported Congress, a ruse

    NFF: Purported Congress, a ruse

    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has alerted Nigerians to a document being circulated by a group of persons who claimed that an emergency Congress of the NFF held in Abuja on Thursday, 31st July, 2014.

    “The NFF Executive Committee rose from its meeting on Wednesday, 30th July to say that the emergency Congress had been postponed, and duly apologized to members of the Congress, while stating that the Congress would hold at a later date.

    “There was no Congress at all, and we urge Nigerians to ignore the so –called decisions contained in the document. A properly –constituted NFF Congress would be convoked at a date to be made known to the public soon,” Mike Umeh, NFF Acting President, said in Abuja.

    He added: “Whoever is instigating these persons does not love Nigeria and should be advised to stop.”