The Artifacts’ Rescuer Association of Nigeria (ARAN), an organisation responsible for the recovery of artifacts stolen out of the country has held its Annual General Meeting even as new set of its leaders emerged.
The seven officers elected on Tuesday to run the affairs of the association including Dele Obalusa as president, Danladi Cyril as vice president, Egnr. Stanly Guobadia as Secretary, with Jimmy Johnson as Asst. Secretary. Others are Mr. Imowa Edobor Financial Secretary, Comrade Promise Airhuwande as PRO and Alhaji Abbas babalola as Treasurer.
The meeting which attracted the Board of Truestees (BoT) members and all other members from across the country was also used to strategise on how the organisation will be more productive going forward.
Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador George Agbo the outgoing President of the Association said that as an election AGM, all outgoing Exco members must give account of their stewardship.
“Over the past three years, we have been able to make ARAN more relevant through our concern efforts. We have come out more solid with the National Commission for museums and monuments (NCMM), the Federal ministry of Information, culture and tourism and even the umbrella body, the Federation of tourism Association (FTAN). Our record will attest these facts”, he said.
He further stated that the outgoing exco might have not achieved a lot but got the nod of the Minister of Information and culture to have NCMM come to do the long awaited assessment of ‘Rescued Artifacts’ in the 5 assessment centers in the country.
Agbo advised the incoming Exco to eschew bitterness as leaders since there will be much from naysayers against them.
“Learn how to swallow everything you hear as leaders. I enjoin all of you taking these hot seats today to be steadfast so that you will not be pulled down, loosing focus from your set goals. All you need to do is put yourselves together to protect our cultural heritage for posterity. We must contribute financially and morally to the association so that we can grow together”, he added.
In his maiden speech, the chairman Dele Obalosa said his first priority is to amend the association constitution by setting up a committee which shall comprise members of the BoT and all members who are ready to participate.
He said: “Adequately, I shall make reference to the reward of our past members who served the association and those who died without honor. I will design a program to do this as it is clearly stated in the constitution.
“What we are witnessing here today is more than a change but chosen to win back the confidence of ARAN members. The outcome of this election was only possible because of the role played by our past leaders especially the immediate past leaders who deserved special commendations”.
