Following the first Afrifestnet Steering Committee meeting held
in Dakar, Senegal last 18 November 2012, and because of his lack of leadership,
it was been decide to give its Continental President , Mr Kwesi Owusu of Ghana
, a 2-months moratorium to get more involved and committed to the
organization’s activities and goals.
Unfortunately, more than three months later, the situation has
not changed. Thus, a motion was was proposed few days ago by the treasurer, Mr
Anthony Lankester of National Arts festival of South africa asking for the
following changes:
1. That the Vice-Chair
Mr. Fidelis Duker of Nigeria should be named Continental President of the
organization until the next General Assembly of AFRIFESTNET whereupon a new
Chair may be elected by the membership; and
2. That Mr. Kwesi
Owusu's of Ghana membership of the Steering Committee should be deemed to have
terminated due to his resignation; and
3. The Steering
Committee shall move to appoint a new member, calling on the membership of
AFRIFESTNET to make suitable nominations; and
4. Once a new member
has been appointed, the Steering Committee shall elect a Deputy Chair from
within its ranks to support the functioning of the Chair
It was based on the aforementioned that the The Vice Chair of
the African Festivals Network AFRIFESTNET, and based on the voting result
released by the project manager (see motion attached), invoked the relevant
sections of the constitution below :
8.4 A person elected as a Steering Committee member shall be
disqualified from acting as a member and shall vacate office if s/he: 8.4.4 is
requested to resign by at least two-thirds of the Steering Committee members
for reasons such as failing to fulfil her/his duties, for contravening the
Constitution, for bringing African Festival Network into disrepute or for any
other reason worthy of such sanction
With the invocation of the above sections of the Constitution,
Over two-third or Six (6) of Steering Committee members passed a vote of NO
CONFINDENCE on Kwesi Owusu as the Chair of AFRIFESTNET on 13th of January
2013.
Mr. Kwesi Owusu was elected as the Afrifestnet Chair in Accra,
Ghana on April 2012 seizes to be the Continental President of AFRIFESTNET.
Based on the above, Mr. Fidelis Duker the Founder/Festival
Director of Abuja International Film Festival is the New Continental President
of AFRIFESTNET.
AFRIFEST NETWORK is the continental organization for Festivals
and events in Africa with membership in over 40 countries.
On behalf of the Steering Committee members, we thank Mr Owusu
very much and we hope that this change will bring a new energy and dynamism to
our organization.
Regards,
DOUNIA BENSLIMANE
Project Manager AFRIFESTNET
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Entertainment