Hi all, It may seem I am trying to dampen Vivian's sit-in Team idea but here is the hard reality: - COJOSA Entities are not run like a Business where decisions can be made by the President on-the-fly. - COJOSA Chapters will require -at the minimum- the Executives to meet and take decisions. Most will have to meet at the Chapter level first. - Then they will deliberate, come to a decision, before implementation. Implementation = suggesting members of the Team Vivian is suggesting.
Therefore, it will take a looooong time for any change being proposed to get all the approvals from the Chapters. Let me quote from the Letter on the idea of setting up a Crisis Team: QUOTE---------------- FORMING THE CRISIS TEAM Many of the ideas I will be presenting in my Letters suffer from three major problems. Problem #1: These are ideas that the current COJOSAA Constitution is silent about. So they are presently unconstitutional. Until the Constitution is amended, they will remain as un-implementable, law-less ideas. Problem #2: Getting the Chapters to support the ideas will require that the ideas are discussed in a Chapter meeting. Unfortunately, as at today, only the Abuja Chapter has regular monthly meetings. That means it will take many months before each Chapter discusses and endorses (or rejects) these ideas. Problem #3: That leaves the Commandos who are on Facebook, Yahoo Groups and other online communities. But, what can they do? -------------QUOTE One of the major problems we face is that our COJOSA leaders do not communicate as a group to clear certain matters. That is why the "Global Exco group" was created on Facebook as a clearing house for all present and past leaders of COJOSA to discuss and come to agreements. So, until the COJOSA President's start talking, Vivian's idea is in trouble because of Problems 1 2 and 3 above. stay blessed, Adam John (1986 Set, Tiger House) PS. Vivian lets talk on our whatsapp corner. ;-) ________________________________ From: Sagai John Adam <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 12:34 PM Subject: Re: [Jos Commandos] My response to P.M.B. 2250 Letters by Adams John- Hello, I have taken the liberty of downloading, copying and now re-posting what Vivian Akinyosoye attached in her earlier email. I don't want anyone to miss what she wrote. Here it is ........ ------------------- Re: P.M.B 2250 letters- I would like to summarize the message in Adam's mail with one simple question: What exactly is the Problem holding us back from actualising most of the points noted in Adam's letter. In the last two years, I watched with pain how words were traded over one matter or the other on this platform and at a point I had to take a back sit and wait for the dust to settle. I couldn't take sides without first understanding the reason for the contentions itself. And o, how true it is, we are not all united, and it was so sad to see us struggling to establish supremacy of Purpose and Structure. Yet we all know that there could not have been a COJOSA without a Command Secondary School Jos. Having read through Adam’s mail, I find myself wondering if this is how other Alumni Associations operate. But I console myself with the thought that these issues might just be teething problems faced by evolving Organizations such as ours. Again, I ask myself the question, what then is the cause of these problems. Because for a sick man to be cured he must first identify the cause of his ailment. In our own case, I think it all goes back to the question of foundation. No Foundation, No Structure. After two years of observation in silence this is my deduction, getting our foundation right as the case is, requires that we go back to our foundation: The Beginning. BACK TO THE BEGINNING. In my own opinion, ‘THE BEGINNING’would mean we must recognize the need to ensure we conclude the question of our Constitution without delay. Not disregarding an existing proposed Constitution as indicated by Mr. Frank Godwin. A COJOSA CONSTITUTION. While we cannot disregard the efforts of all who in the past took time off to evolve the proposed Constitution, (Mr. President Lagos Chapter- Mr. Saleh Barka and his indefatigable Team, and all existing chapters in Nigeria), I believe strongly that in order to achieve this objective, we need to do a review/update of this document, but with a better representation of the larger house. I believe strongly that if we had started out with the bigger picture in mind from the onset, establishing a Constitution then,(more than 20 years ago) by now every prospective COJOSA Chapter in existence today (including upcoming Chapters) would have evolved as an extension or a branch from the National Body and not the other way round. Thank God for those who started it all from the very beginning, they have championed a cause, we can't afford to fail them. At this point, I suggest we have a sit-in team review/update the Proposed Constitution within a one-two day period. Because no institution with a structure like ours can be run solely via the internet. I suggest the Team in question comprise the following: 1. One Representative from each set till date. (1981-2012). - This should be on Volunteer basis please. 2. Two Executives from each existing chapter - delegated. 3. 1 Or 2 Representatives from the International COJOSA Chapters. 4. And any other commandos so willing should be welcomed. The more the merrier. By so doing, for the first time we would be meeting as one Global Body- Should we pursue these objectives as ‘one House’. I’m of the opinion that a team such as this should be able to achieve the following: 1. Address all issues seemingly prevailing on us as well as those raised in Adams letters. 2. Raise a ‘Power House’from amongst these Reps, (A Committee of Elders perhaps) and other sub-committees. 3. Evolve a Constitution that will be binding on all of us at the end of the 0NE OR TWO DAYS meeting. 4. The entire proceedings will be recorded on Video Camera for the purpose of documentation. Venue: Lagos/Abuja. I would suggest Lagos. Because to a great extent, what we see and know today as COJOSA started from Lagos. However, I stand to be corrected. CONCLUSION I suggest we pick someone to spear-head this project. Or someone please volunteer to do so. It would seem like a tall order, but with the support of the entire house it is possible. His or her task: raise a team to organise this one-two day meeting. Make sure it holds this year !!! To avoid another prolonged debate, please email your suggestions to Mr. Saleh Barka at this email add. [email protected] Copy the following please: 1. UK/Ireland Chapter 2. Cojosa USA. I don't know if we have any other internal Cojosa, for now that's it. By Wednesday next week we should have a name, and the house give its blessing. Thanks to Mr. Godwin for sending us the proposed Constitution, it gives us an oppurtunity to appreciate whatever amendment we see at the end of the Review/Update. On a final note, I implore the ‘House’to pardon me if I sound imposing or authoritative in my mail. Having been on the observation sit in the last couple of years, watching us all go back and forth debating matters over and over again without any conclusions or ending in confusion, we cannot but approach the situation with a sense of urgency. Thank you for taking time out to read through. God bless Command Secondary School Jos! God Bless Nigeria! God bless us all! Vivian Akinyosoye Class of 86' Set. ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 4:52 AM Subject: [Jos Commandos] My response to P.M.B. 2250 Letters by Adams John- Happy new year and compliments to all of us. Adam's letters certainly are thought provoking and makes one wonder where and what exactly is the problem that we seemingly have not been able to overcome in these last couple of years. I implore us all to kindly take time out to go through the attached document in this mail. For some reasons it wouldn't go through on this page. Thanks. Vivian Akinyosoye Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
