** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **

When this article first came out five years ago, I did not respond to it. I
do not know why I am doing it now, except to correct innuedos and show the
whole African community the problem confronting the AAM. Abu Askia Koroma
and this posting represents the problem confronting AAM.
I have told many people that AAM's constitution then and now was not the
problem confronting AAM. The problem confronting the AAM are the utterances
and behavior of some members who call themselves card-carrying members of
AAM such as ASKIA KOROMA.

I had just been elected in 1999 and in the process of taking over form
Richard Yarl, when Abu Hassan Koroma launched his polemics against me for no
just cause. He forgot that I competed with Mrs Cole for the position of the
Vice-presidency of AAM. I lost by a "big margin" of 5 votes on absentee
balloting. I protested loudly against it, but gratefully accepted the
result. When she eventually resigned, I was at the AAM meeting that saw
another election to fill the vacancy. I was renominated and I accepted it,
because I believe that I OWE AAM SOME SERVICE AS AN AFRICAN. I had not
forgoten how AAM rallied round me when my wife died on Feb. 14th. 1994.

As the President of AAM, I saw "fire and brimstone" in the hands of some
members of the Executive Committee. There were some individuals for reasons
unknown, who were out to make sure we failed to do the job, especially the
AFFEST for that year. Abu Koroma was one of those out but throwing stones
into the executive and Affest, because I refused to give him what he wanted
for the Affest.  Abu Koroma became a SABOTUER. And like all sabotuers he
failed woefully.

Sabotaging the activities of AAM did not start with me. Aggo Akyea had it.
Money was said to have been misappropriated during his tenure. But we can
not find evidence anywhere. It extended to my predecessor Richard Yarl, with
some people actually calling donors to find out how much was donated during
his time. AAM was accused of mismanagement of AFEST fund.  You can see the
proof, when you observe how sharply the revenue through donation dropped
from the year 2000. Some of these donors called me find out if we were
investigating donations past or requesting for new ones.
    Ladies and gentlemen, the problem with AAM was not in the constitution
then and now. The problem is the fear of SABOTAGE. The fear of sabotage
account for the reason nobody want to serve in the Execitive Committee of
AAM. Sabotage takes different forms and shapes. When YOU RUN DOWN ELECTED
OFFICIALS OF AAM or THE PROGRAMS, you are a sabotuer. Now, tell me why
Ademola Iyi-Eweka would want to serve in any capacity in AAM, in view of
what I went through in year 2000?   Africans were doing it to their own
organization-AAM, sabotaging their own collective efforts.

This repost from Askia Koroma has no relevance now execept that it has given
me an opportunity to respond to his smear campaign. I am not the current
President of AAM. I served 6 years ago. I handed over to somebody. It is the
turn of the President Adelaide Fiske to hand over to somebody. The irony of
it all was that the present Madame President of AAM was the general
secretary of the 2000 executive which they tried to cripple. She was in Abu
Koroma's camp then.
But I decided to put all those behind me. I have served the AAM in different
capacities since I left office.

ABU kOROMA, are you suggesting that AAM could not conduct election in 2004
because  Ademola Iyi-Eweka was President in the year 2000? The Affest 2000
is still regarded by the people of Madison-WI as the best ever, inspite of
Koroma's sabotage.

On a final note, no matter the type of constitution AAM may come up with,
the people in it need a change of minds and hearts. They should understand
that those who volunteer to serve AAM should be praised and not piloried or
pulled down. I did not do it for the money.

Members of AAM, I am sorry I had to bug you with this response. In fact, I
am in state of mourning having just lost my junior sister to death in Benin
City, Nigeria. But I had to pull off my mourning sack cloth to defend my
name and honor. We need to respond to FOOLS sometimes otherwise they would
not learn.

I can now put on my mourning garment!!!


Ademola Iyi-Eweka




>From: Abu-Hassan Koroma <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "AAM (African Association of Madison)"
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: AAM in 1998
>Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 14:20:20 -0800
>
>** Please visit our website: http://www.africanassociation.org **
>
>Note:  This article was posted on this list in 1998.
>It may be of interest to those who are seeking
>solutions to AAM matters.  Not a well-written
>piece...just a random thought on matters then....
>
>Enjoy,
>Askia
>
>On Saturday, December 5, 1998, The African Association
>elected a new executive based on the present
>constitution which automatically makes the Vice
>President successor to the outgoing President.   The
>first beneficiary of this new model is outgoing
>President, Richard Yarl.  Yarl, to his credit,  has
>risen up in the ranks of the Association and served
>under every conceivable administration.  He never
>declined an opportunity to be involved.  He served
>well and paid his “dues” accordingly.  When he
>eventually became President, it seemed a crowning
>moment in the life of the Association.  Those with
>whom he had worked were ecstatic about this
>development and pledged to stand by him for another
>successful year. The constitution thus, has served its
>purpose.
>
>Another interesting thing about the constitution and
>the December 5 election was that the Association,
>depending all things had remained constant, would have
>entered the millennium with its first female
>president, Mrs. Zainabou Cole.   It was never to be.
>On June 18, 1999 Cole gracefully resigned for “purely
>personal” reasons.  “I would like to pledge my
>continuous support for the Association’s efforts in
>‘building and bridging communities,” she wrote.
>
>  That community, thanks to Pierre Gbedeh and Co,  had
>envisaged an Association that would outlive the
>present members of the Madison African Community.  The
>  vision seems to be materializing, thanks to Aggo
>Akyea.   There is reason to be optimistic.  On August
>25, 1998, the Association organized and held its first
>and highly successful festival at the  Monona Terrace.
>  It was a concerted effort and success.  A lot of
>community funding was involved.  The University of
>Wisconsin African Studies Department played a very
>crucial and important role.  Every aspect of the
>African and Madison community was involved.  That
>sense of oneness, more than anything else, goes a long
>way to explain the outcome of  the festival.  The feat
>was again repeated in 1999 despite its turbulent
>process. Planning for 2000 is already underway.
>
>The festival has now become the one thing that we all
>agree upon.  “It is like doing this for ten years,
>believe me,” said Anne Weatherby Hayes of Juneteeth
>committee.  This was in 1998.  Like every fledgling
>association, the Africans in Madison have their own
>share of stories to tell.  It all started with the
>death of a fellow African.  The outburst of sympathy
>and cooperation was so thrilling and fulfilling that
>the opportunity to work as a community dawned on some
>prominent listeners in the “village.”  In this
>respect, Pierre Gbedeh, Sebastian Wallang, Felix Ossia
>were very instrumental and deserve our recognition.
>
>It is also appropriate that we recognize those who
>have continually meddled with the Association’s
>constitution to lay a progressive path as we head into
>the future.  In this regard, Dr. Ben Weller deserves
>our recognition.
>
>It is unfortunate that our first opportunity to have a
>woman president floundered.  But what could be more
>unfortunate is our inability to understand that the
>idea behind the present constitution was based on
>continuity fostered by a process of understudy.
>Richard as Vice President worked closely with Aggo
>from start to finish.  The transition and the process
>of putting together the festival was relatively easy
>for Richard.  Would this be the same for the next
>President?
>
>In a special election held on Saturday, June 26, 1999,
>Chief Dr. Ademola Iyi-Eweka was elected Vice
>President, barely two months to Afest 99.  Iyi-Eweka
>immediately went to work as Chairman of the Monitoring
>and Evaluation Committee, a position that the Festival
>Planning and Implementation Committee reserved for the
>Vice President.  As the Vice President, he
>automatically becomes the next President on Saturday,
>December 4, 1999.
>
>Dr. Iyi-Eweka will be both President of the African
>Association of Madison, Inc and, President of the
>Union of Nigerians in Madison, UNIMA.  His position
>also, unless changes are effected,  makes him Chairman
>of the Festival Planning and Implementation Committee.
>   Therefore, he will be juggling among three
>responsibilities of equal pull.  He may succeed with
>all three depending on how he galvanizes his troops.
>Or, he may choose to forgo two responsibilities and
>focus his energy where there is comparative advantage.
>
>In the last two administrations, the Presidents have
>tapped their Vice Presidents.  Akyea easily welcome
>Yarl as his Vice President.  Yarl tapped Cole for the
>position.  Who has Iyi-Eweka tapped for the Vice
>Presidency?  Barely two days to the next general
>meeting, the Electoral Board has received no
>nominations.  Who would be our next Vice President?
>Our next Treasurer?  Our next Financial Secretary? Or,
>our next Secretary?  These are questions for  Dr.
>Iyi-Eweka and these would be crucial if he should
>succeed in all the responsibilities he now carry.
>
>There is some concern within UNIMA that Dr. Iyi-Eweka
>should not have accepted the Presidency of the African
>Association at the special elections.  “He definitely
>needed to address the UNIMA issue first before taking
>on an extra role,” said a member of the organization
>who prefers not to be named.  The issue been referred
>to here is a consensus among UNIMA members asking that
>Dr. Iyi-Eweka resign from the Presidency.
>
>Another concern is the role of the Chairman in
>Planning and Implementing Afest.  When put together,
>it may seem easy, may be it is justifiable to say so,
>that is,  if all the drivers for success are timely
>and appropriate.   The past two Presidents, Akyea and
>Yarl put in several hours that involved endless and
>sleepless nights.  Physically, it was a drain and its
>impact was and still visible on Yarl.  Would Dr.
>Iyi-Eweka subject himself to this strain in the face
>of certain uncertainties?
>
>Many questions remain to be answered.  But it is time
>to begin looking at the Association as an institution
>in the making.  Like all successful organizations, it
>is now time to move forward with the appointment of a
>Director.  The General Paid up membership shall
>constitute the Board and establish policies for the
>organization.  This involves planning but luckily we
>do have the talents to facilitate the process and we
>must revisit with them again, if Afest 2000 should be
>successful.
>
>Askia Med Hassan.
>
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