Our mission is to conduct election, not to hang on to power — BBA Caretaker Transition Committee

Members of the Caretaker Transition Committee of Balogun Business Association (BBA), Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, have said that their mission is to conduct an election that every stakeholder in the international shopping complex would be proud of.

Speaking at an interview, the caretaker transition committee which is comprised of past presidents of the association said that they have served the association and at the expiration of their tenures handed over to their successors and as such are no longer power hungry.

They said that what is keeping them in the committee is to get an enabling environment to conduct a free, fair and credible election, adding that they would never stay a day longer than necessary.

According to the chairman of the committee, Hon. Anslem Dunu, the committee had two months mandate to appoint a returning officer, who would conduct election into the executives positions of the association and then usher in a new administration.

However, he said that after their inauguration, they observed that there was no enabling environment for an election to take place because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the tension in the market which is being perpetrated by a former president of the association.

He said that they were warned that if they break COVID-19 protocol and conduct the election, the shopping complex would be closed down indefinitely.

According to him, in order to have enough time to put things in order, they had to approach the court for extension of time, which the court granted them.

He said that they are now making sure that nothing would stop them from conducting a credible election before the time that Court granted them expires.

Speaking further, he said that in order to make sure that the tension in the complex is laid to rest, the committee would not conduct the election with the constitution that was written when they were still in Lagos Island which is now not only irrelevant but also outdated.

He said that they would make use of their new constitution which is now before the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

In his contributing, Prince Tony Akanegbu said that the trouble in the complex is being perpetuated by those who no longer have any stake in the complex and as such would have nothing to lose if the shopping complex is shut down.

He said that the mission of the caretaker committee is to ensure that a lasting peace is brought to the complex, adding that everything should be put in place before that would be achieved.

Also contributing, Brother Leonard Ogbonna who is serving as the secretary of the committee said that those who are being used to cause trouble should have a rethink.

According to him, the members of the committee are past leaders who have the interest of the association at heart and would never lead them astray.