Nigeria: National Union of Tangale Students Sacks President, Two Others

By Smart Emmanuel

The National Union of Tangale Students (NUTS) on Tuesday passed a vote of no confidence on its President Elizabeth David Ankama; Vice President I, Bitrus Timothy; and Vice President II, Joy Kauda Pangara.

In a statement signed by five of the executive members the union said the decision followed “breaches of trust, misconduct, and unconstitutional actions” by the president and the two other officers sacked.

According to the statement, “these actions have compromised the values and integrity of NUTS, prompting the executive committee to call for immediate impeachment of these leaders for abuse of power, financial irregularities and unconstitutional actions.”

Those who signed the statement include, Secretary General, A.G. Kure; Assistant Secretary, Magdalene Musa; Financial Secretary, Danborno Gimba; Treasurer, Roseline Moses; Sports Director, Mathew Abbah; and Public Relations Officer, Na’ason Elisha.

Read the full statement below.

NATIONAL UNION OF TANGALE STUDENTS (NUTS) PASSES VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE ON SOME EXECUTIVES

The National Union of Tangale Students (NUTS) Executive Committee has passed a vote of no confidence in President Elizabeth David Ankama, Vice President I Bitrus Timothy, and Vice President II Joy Kauda Pangara, citing breaches of trust, misconduct, and unconstitutional actions.

The allegations leading to this decision include:

1. Unauthorized opening of a union bank account without the authorization of the association and oversight from the Treasurer and Financial Secretary, thus bypassing critical financial protocols.
2. Unjustified removal of key officials (General Secretary and Treasurer) from the union’s WhatsApp group, which undermines the union’s governance structure.
3. Selfish interest especially acting without consulting the full Executive Committee (EXCO), indicating a disregard for the principles of collaborative leadership.
4. Financial misconduct and related matters.
5. Appointing a Vice President immediately upon assuming office and involving them exclusively in decision-making, bypassing the broader EXCO.

These actions have compromised the values and integrity of NUTS, prompting the executive committee to call for immediate impeachment of these leaders for abuse of power, financial irregularities and unconstitutional actions.

The conduct of Elizabeth David Ankama and her vice presidents stands in violation of the NUTS Code of Conduct and Constitution, as stated in the following provisions:

1. As stated in Article II, Section 3 of the Student Union Code of Ethics: “To serve the students union, beyond oneself, members of student Union are dedicated to (a) represent our peers interest to community officials above that of their own opinion or that of public administrators or others.”
2. As stated in Article II, Section 5 of the Code of Ethics: Strengthen our organization through ethical and transparent practices by: (e) check students opinion against your own and ensure you are not confusing the two.
3. As stated in Article V, Section 1 any Exco or elected member of the union finds that the Student Union President, Vice President or any official appointed and approved by the Elcom chairman should be removed from office due to their behavior or misconduct, they are obligated to report the issue to the Student Union Ethics Commission. The Student Union Ethics Commission shall then convene to review the allegation and provide a recommendation regarding further action.

The undersigned members of the NUTS Executive Committee declare that Elizabeth David Ankama, along with Vice President I Bitrus Timothy and Vice President II Joy Kauda Pangara, have violated the Union’s Constitution on multiple occasions. This vote of NO CONFIDENCE reflects our stance that they are unfit for their respective off ices, and we hereby declare them impeached with immediate effect.

Signed:

1. A.G. Kure: Secretary General
2. Musa Magdalene: Assistant Secretary
3. Danborno Gimba: Financial Secretary
4. Moses Roseline: Treasurer
5. Mathew Abbah: Sports Director
6. Na’ason Elisha: Public Re lations Officer

CC

Nigerian Police Force Billiri Divisional Headquarters.

Nigerian Security and Civil Defense corps Billiri Division.

National Union of Tangale Students Stakeholders.

TAWASA National Secretariat.

All National Union of Tangale Students Chapters.