N2 BILLION RACKET DISCOVERED INSIDE WATER PRODUCERS BODY

N2 BILLION RACKET DISCOVERED INSIDE WATER PRODUCERS BODY

AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ALLEGATIONS OF A TWO BILLION SCAM LINKED TO THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF TABLE WATER PRODUCERS OF NIGERIA[ATWAP] AND A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL REGIME OF EXTORTION,A NEW BODY TO BE CALLED THE TABLE WATER AND BEVERAGES PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA HAS BEING FORMED AS MEMBERS OF THE NEWLY CREATED BODY SPILL OUT THE BEANS OF THE CAN OF WORMS IN THEIR ERSTWHILE ASSOCIATION

 IN AN INTERVIEW BETWEEN A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE NEWLY FORMED  TABLE WATER AND BEVERAGES PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA,OGUN STATE CHAPTER,MR ABIODUN LAWAL  SPEAKS WITH A CROSS SECTION OF THE NIGERIAN MEDIA RECENTLY AT THE BODY’S SECRETARIAT IN THE ANCIENT CITY OF ABEOKUTA ,THE WATER PRODUCING INDUSTRY CHIEFTAIN BARES IT ALL ON THE DECAY IN THE SECTOR AS A NEAR FISTICUFFS RECENTLY LED TO A NEW ESTABLISHMENT,EXCERPTS….

MEMBERS OF THE NEWLY FORMED TABLE WATER AND BEVERAGE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA,OGUN STATE CHAPTER IN A RECENT GROUP PHOTOGRAPH IN THE BODY'S SECRETARIAT IN ABEOKUTA,OGUN STATE OF NIGERIA

QUESTION :WHAT IS REALY HAPPENING SIR? As you already know ,I have been mandated to speak on behalf of our newly formed body which is still evolving as we speak and we are called The Table Water and Beverages Producers Association of Nigeria, Ogun state Chapter and under this platform we have decided to bring together pure water producers in the state.

As you can see ,we are here today to discuss the progress of our business with our members at The Board of Trustee level interacting with each other so that we can build a united front and forge ahead.

We have the largest number in terms of membership in the state and so we are at home with every issue regarding the history of water   production business.

QUESTION?WE HEARD THAT YOU ARE PULLING OUT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF TABLE WATER PRODUCERS ,IS THIS REALLY TRUE?

Some of us are members of the body ,some of us are not but it is instructive to say that the newly formed body is coming up due to a crisis situation .

There was relative peace in Ogun state  in our sector up until February,2017 and this was  because we disagreed with our National President over her misconduct which we believe will have a fundamental impact on the long term integrity of our association if not checked and this issues we disagreed were  based on principles  which are core to the existence of our trade.

If we had agreed to what our National President at ATWAP was trying to force down our throats it could mean that somewhere down the line we could be smeared due to our own short sightedness.

So when the issue of hard core professionalism laced with integrity is at stake ,then you really have to decide which way to go and rightfully so as it was Germaine that we try to chart a door for our trade.

QUESTION:IN WHAT WAY DO YOU THINK YOUR DECISIONS WILL IMPACT ON YOUR TRADE?

The issue of business management and financial management is vital in any form of organization of human being who have come together for a common interest when doing business, the leadership must be able to guarantee a high level of optimal performance in operational excellence.

We are representing the interests of a lot of people and we are not like some trade union  and do not forget we are a peace loving people and do not want any forms of violence at all as we love to conduct ourselves in tranquility at all times.

QUESTION:SIR,BUT WE HEARD WAS THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTION CONDUCTED IN THE OGUN STATE CHAPTER OF THE ASSOCIATION OF TABLE WATER PRODUCERS OF NIGERIA[ATWAP] AND  THEN THERE WAS A CRISIS SITUATION?

What election,where was the election?What actually took place was some kangaroo arrangement and this is not acceptable to us at all .

We actually have 16 different zones in the state and as am talking to you ,13 of those zonal and local chapters are with us and heavily behind us.

At some point we all came together and agreed that peace should be allowed to reign and so we set up a peace committee ,with our National President been involved but because in the process of the aforementioned things were not going according to a predetermined script of our National President she rushed all the way from Benin and started to stage manage things more so against the popular mandate given to her even by the terms of our own constitutional provisions.Can you  imagine that an election was held in Ilaro,Ogun state without  the rest of us in the association being in  the know and in the so called popular election that was said to have being conducted ,electoral members were dropped without our agreement and full knowledge   .

So tell me ,where in the world do you do things like that ,a lot of things were hurriedly changed due to her massive influence  as she and her cronies want to retain their respective positions in perpetuity and they want us to close our eyes and agree to this,no way.

The elections took place in the presence of just 50 people ,it is appalling and unheard of ,do you know that all the people that took part in the sham called an election were returned unopposed .

Ogun state is a peaceful state  and we do not want any form of violence at all ,hence let people of like minds come together

QUESTIONS:SO THERE IS A CRISIS SITUATION AFTERALL?

It is no crisis,Madam President said that if it is only 10 people that she sees at the polling boot ,she will go ahead and conduct an election .

It is not really a case  of crisis ,people of like minds decided to come together so that there will be no form of problems as we strongly believe in our integrity .

We do not want to continue in the old path of hopelessness and we are not people who will extort money from members ..

QUESTION:DO YOU HAVE MEMBERS NATIONWIDE?

We will be going across the entire length and breadth of the nation to raise our membership .

The founding fathers of ATWAP are all with us and have a clear vision of what they wanted with the body but if they watch and allow it to be destroyed there is really not much we can do about it but they can stand up and do something about it ,there is a freedom of association and we are free to make our choice.

We must not fight as we do not want to lose any life at all.However if somebody is desperate to make himself rich then it is highly unfortunate

QUESTION:ARE YOU SAYING THAT THERE IS NO CONSTITUTION ?

She violated the terms of our constitution and so we had to draw a line,we do have a constitution in ATWAP  but if somebody does this and you do not have a time to waste then you have to move on and allow them continue with their culture of impunity

QUESTION:YOU MEAN IF SHE CALLS A MEETING YOU WON’T ATTEND?

She is not a member of our new body and she can only call members of her own body who will meet with her ,so she can deal only with members of her own association while we deal with our own.

We have a new which we have opened to doing business in the country ,we cannot continue to do business in the old ways .we believe to the best of our knowledge that we have opened a new vista for constitutionalism and democracy.

QUESTION:IS YOUR ASSOCIATION LEGALISED?

We believe in a culture of integrity and what they were expecting is that we will engage in violence so that they can score a political but we are too smart for that .

Our legal registration is on-going and almost completed and it is backed up by integrity and morality ,so what can be more legal than that.

They were expecting us to attack  them at Sango Otta but we are wiser as we are pursuing things in the right way  

QUESTION:WHAT ARE THE STRUCTURES BEING PUT IN PLACE ?

We have members of our Board of Trustees who are elders and have a historical antecedent of what it takes to move things forward.

We have the Youths,Zones and effective structure and more so we have the right administrative platforms to make things work out pretty well.

QUESTION:WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES  AGAINST THE PRESIDENT?

Madam President has a compulsive and aggressive behavior ,she is partial  and this is very wrong ,it is very wrong when you start to take sides when two people are fighting or are clearly in disagreements.

Some  people felt that the previous Acting President should be compensated for his service but this was still not enough for them ,Madam President took sides and became very abusive  to all as she started to use a foul language on all

QUESTION:WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THEY WANTED TO STAY IN PERPETUITY IN THEIR POSITIONS?

She has her reasons and only she will be to speak for herself but on the benefit of hindsight I think based on the situation now ,they actually may not be Germaine .

But if she tells us why she used some particular set of people in Ilaro then we will know where to come in and address such an insight.

QUESTION:WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE PEACE COMMITTEE?

All the members were from each of the zones ,the peace committee were handpicked from members within the state and not from outside the state  and there were recommendations made by them but she in her own wisdom decided to side track this  and went ahead to execute her own plans.

QUESTION:WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THIS GROUP?

I will rather want to think of the future for my own business while praying for the sustenance of the business of each of our members  as we pray for everyone of us so that together all of our businesses can grow and be profitable and create shared values ,employment and be able to pay our respective taxes while putting food on the table for our families in the process.

We are interested in those who have invested heavily on their time and money,look at this way ,the costs of our materials for water sachet production are all getting  very expensive and I cannot be working to make money and then be doling out same free to some persons .

I mean simply put the processes in pure water production right now is not easy at all and so we are actually in need of a leadership that can bring us to the prosperous ends of the trade.

QUESTIONS:DO YOU INTEND TO TAKE A LEGAL POSITION ON THE MATTER?

We have gone past any form of legal position ,we do not believe that we have any form of dirty linen to was wash in the public anyway,we are not forcing anybody into joining our body ,our slogan is called Abundant life,but this should not be confused with Abundant lies at all.