US-Based Anambra Watchdog Group Embroiled In Dispute Over Money From Politicians

Gov. Peter Obi

By SaharaReporters, New York

Some officials of the Anambra State Association-USA (ASA-USA), a watchdog group formed in part to monitor and address looting and other excesses by Anambra State politicians, have been accused of acting as the lapdogs of corrupt politicians.
SaharaReporters first broke the report that some officials of the association are accused of receiving $60,000 from Ifeanyi Uba, a controversial oil marketer turned governorship candidate. A group of disaffected members of the association filed a lawsuit in California accusing several of the association’s officials of acting illegally and failing to give proper account of ASA-USA’s finances.
Efforts by Governor Peter Obi of Anambra to persuade the plaintiffs to withdraw their lawsuit hit a snag, as several of the plaintiffs dismissed the governor’s entreaties. Some of the members accused Mr. Obi of trying to protect corrupt elements within ASA-USA’s leadership.
“This is an association founded on the idea of ensuring that there is probity and accountability in the governance of our state,” one of the litigants told SaharaReporters. He added: “Unfortunately, politicians like [Governor] Obi and [Ifeanyi] Uba began to meddle in our affairs. They often give ‘kola nut’ money to the leaders of ASA-USA, thereby making the association a toothless bulldog.”
Since SaharaReporters broke the story, the association has remained embroiled in a legal battle in a district court in California. After reviewing the allegations of financial improprieties leveled against key officers of the association, namely, Allison Anadi, Victor Nwanso, Jonathan Okafor and Eloka Oraelosi, the judge recently ordered the attorney general of California to investigate all four of the defendants. That criminal investigation is ongoing.
Notwithstanding the on-going criminal investigation, the defendants, Allison Anadi, Victor Nwanso, Jonathan Okafor, and Eloka Oraelosi have scheduled another national convention of the association in Tampa, Florida this weekend.
A source close to the plaintiffs in the California lawsuit accused the discredited officials of the organization of “trying to use this convention to benefit from the gubernatorial election billed to take place on November 16 in Anambra.” He added: “The convention may be their last opportunity to receive money from the [governorship] contestants.”
It is expected that two of the governorship candidates, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, and Willie Obiano of the All Peoples Grand Alliance, will come to the convention with their large entourages. One source added that Governor Obi is also expected to be in attendance to support Mr. Obiano, his godson and self-chosen successor. Also, SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Obi is billed to receive a leadership award from ASA-USA.
A caretaker committee formed to oversee the affairs of the crisis-ridden association issued the following statement: “You may be planning to attend a convention being organized by the dissolved Allison Anadi administration of ASA-USA at Tampa Florida. Please be informed that: 1. Professor Allison Anadi and key members of his dissolved executives are currently the subject of investigation by the Attorney General of California for possible criminal sanctions that may even include jail time. 2. Under the powers vested on the Board of ASA-USA by the existing constitution and under relevant California Codes and Regulations, the Board after reviewing the magnitude of financial irregularities in the Allison Anadi led executive, dissolved the executive and appointed a caretaker committee. Allison Anadi and other members of his executives have been advised to cease and desist from parading themselves as executives of ASA-USA and to stop acting on behalf of the association. Therefore the convention is not ASA-USA convention and the acts thereof are null and void and without effect. 3. A caretaker committee was formed to protect ASA-USA from the massive financial abuses unleashed on ASA-USA by Allison Anadi, Victor Nwanso, Jonathan Okafor and Eloka Oraelosi among others. The caretaker committee based on both her enumerated and statutory powers have ordered that the ill-advised convention in Tampa must not hold. 4. Allison Anadi and co are planning this convention in total disregard of ASA-USA constituted authorities mandate and the statutory laws/annotated codes governing a California Corporation and merely to further their excessive entanglement with politicians that has cast ASA-USA as an enabler of partisan formations. 5. As we speak, members of the deposed Allison Anadi administration, including Mr. Primus Odili, are openly engaged in partisan politics, a pattern of conduct which over the years vitiated the voice of the organization as a strong and independent advocate of good governance. 6. As part of carefully planned acts to restore the dignity of the Association, the caretaker committee has planned the following activities: 1. A national summit of Anambra indigenes in the USA to be held in the first week of December 2013 to review and adopt a new and wholesome modality for operating ASA-USA going forward; 2. a thorough audit of the books of the Association and presentation of same to stakeholders of ASA-USA on or before October 2014; 3.a national convention of ASA-USA in October 2014 to elect a new Board and Executive that will meet your aspirations for a strong voice for the voiceless masses of Anambra State. 7. Meanwhile, we appreciate that the air in our State is thick with politics. You, as the elite, should study the candidates and form your own conclusion as to who will best deliver the fruits of good governance. The caretaker committee will contact leading gubernatorial candidates and present them with an opportunity to answer questions from our members in an open and frank exchange of ideas.
“We ask you to save your money and time and to say no to efforts made in the past to run ASA-USA like a political party.  You must send a resounding ‘enough is enough’ message to Anadi and co by staying away from their illegal convention.
“We thank you for your patience as the Court process works itself out. We can assure you that we remain willing and able to use the full weight of the law in the United States to cleanse the Aegean stable that is ASA-USA. We are virtually certain that when the legal dust settles, serious criminal sanctions will follow as a result of massive financial irregularities. We are privy to ear tingling details of financial mismanagement but we are under a Court order procured by Anadi and co to not reveal them to you.  In due time, you will see what we are seeing and why the step was taken to prevent further bleeding of the Association.
“You will be proud of a broom-swept ASA-USA guaranteed and ASA-USA will once again become the leading state-wide organization in the United States. Guaranteed.”
The statement was signed by Alusi Obi, chairman of the caretaker committee, and Anthony Adubasim, the committee’s secretary.