Rules, Regulations and Responsibilities

PREAMBLE

·         Whereas TakeitBack (Sowore2019) - hereinafter referred to simply as "TakeitBack" - is a manifestation and a product of the collective yearnings of Nigerians within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to create a dynamic, progressive, righteous and inclusive Political Party with a singular purpose of intervening in the politics of Nigeria by sensitizing and empowering Nigerians to believe in their ability to take control of the Governance of Nigerian through the electoral systems and at all levels of government;

·         Whereas Mr. Omoyele Sowore is the Leader and Convener of TakeitBack and an Aspirant for the Office of the President of Nigeria on the platform of African Action Congress;

·         Whereas, in order to deliver on the promises of good, responsible and incorruptible governance demanded by Nigerians, it is the mission of TakeitBack to actively encourage, enable and support other Nigerians with political aspirations to contest for any other political office in Nigeria on the platform of the African Action Congress and;

·         Whereas it is the mission of TakeitBack to organize and continue to earnestly support, agitate and organize for the African Action Congress (the only Movement-created and Grassroots-owned Political Party in Nigeria) to facilitate the afore-mentioned political aspirations during the 2019 General Elections;

·         Whereas TakeitBack is supported, funded, enabled and propagated organically by Nigerians globally in recognition of Mr. Omoyele Sowore as the Leader of TakeitBack, and a prospective Candidate of the African Action Congress;

·         Whereas TakeitBack organizes itself into Chapters and Groups, with each supported by selected, nominated or elected volunteers and registered or unregistered members of TakeitBack (hereinafter referred to as "Local Organising Committee" - LOC) who each performs and exercise delegated functions and authorities within its respective designated areas of influence;

·         Whereas it is the vision, policy and intention the African Action Congress to embrace, adopt and grow these Groups and Chapters in furtherance of its political objectives and vision;

·         Whereas it is the desire of the African Action Congress and  the Leader and Convener of TakeitBack, in consultation with his advisors and the Central Leadership of TakeitBack to ensure a unity of purpose, cohesion, harmony and orderly conduct of the affairs of Our Party and Movement;

·         And whereas it is imperative that a modicum of orderliness be instituted and enforced to ensure Mission Success, avoid division, minimize conflicts, discourage rebellion, prevent discord and avoid overlapping or duplicated delegation or exercise of authorities by any Group, Chapter, Member, Official or Volunteer;

·         Wherefore it is hereby jointly declared by the Leadership of the African Action Congress and Leader and Convener of the TakeitBack Movement, in consultation and agreement with his advisors and the Central Leadership that:

ROLES DEFINITION

The Roles, Responsibilities and Conduct of Local Organizing Committee's activities shall be defined as follows:

·         The Primary responsibilities of any and all LOC shall be to raise funds to support the mission, project, activities, operations and functioning of the African Action Congress (AAC) and TakeitBack

·         All fundraising initiatives must be organized in the name of AAC and/or TakeitBack, spearheaded by Omoyele Sowore.

·         All fundraising initiatives must have prior written approval from the Secretary General of AAC, the Director for Admin & Finance (for fundraising activities in Nigeria) or the Director for Diaspora Activities of TakeitBack (for fundraising activities in the Diaspora), or any other body or Officer so delegated in their stead by the Central Coordinating Committee.

·         Each LOC is permitted to develop programs within their designated areas of primary residence and such programs shall be aimed at recruiting and growing membership and increasing support for TakeitBack

·         Each LOC will not interfere with, intervene in, direct, obstruct or otherwise concern itself with any activities related to the organization and functioning of any other LOC

·         Unless otherwise directed or delegated by the Central Coordinating Committee, each LOC will not interfere with, intervene in, direct, obstruct or otherwise concern itself with any activities that are centrally coordinated, including but not limited to: Platform, Infrastructure or Website development, registration, administration or management; Mobilization efforts in Nigeria

·         Regardless of the legal or political structure obtaining outside of those defined, determined or otherwise communicated by the Central Coordinating Committee, each LOC shall be named, recognized and officially referred to only by the name it has been assigned by the Central Coordinating Committee.

REGISTRATION, INCORPORATION AND FINANCIALS

Where such is required by local laws, or where necessary for the welfare and benefit of AAC and TakeitBack, or for other compliance purposes, a LOC located, situated or otherwise primarily domiciled outside Nigeria is permitted to register as a legal entity and to open a commercial or private bank account in its immediate locality, provided that the following provisos are strictly adhered to without let.

·         The LOC must request and obtain prior written approval from the Director for Diaspora Activities of TakeitBack

·         The request must clearly specify the full legal names of ALL Trustees

·         The request must clearly specify the full legal names of ALL Signatories to the registration and/or bank account

·         All bank accounts opened or operated by a LOC must be accessible electronically and the credentials for such access must be transmitted securely to the Director for Diaspora Activities of TakeitBack or another person so delegated and authorized by the Central Coordinating Committee.

Such bank account must include 3 Signatories.

·         The LOC accepts that, where it is determined necessary by the Central Coordinating Committee, the Central Coordinating Committee, at its sole discretion, may replace or substitute not more than one of the proposed Signatories with another name of its choosing, and that the replacement/substitute/addition may not necessarily be a member of the LOC.

·         Two of the 3 Signatories must sign a cheques/checks or other legal tenders (other than cash) before it can be valid for cashing

·         At all times, one of the two legal Signatories referred to in the preceding clause MUST be the Signatory designated by the Central Coordinating Committee.

·         Statements of accounts must be forwarded to the Officer, Group or Agent specifically designated and duly communicated to each LOC by the Central Coordinating Committee at least once per month or immediately upon formal request from the Director for Diaspora Activities of TakeitBack or another person so delegated and authorized by the Central Coordinating Committee.

·         The Central Coordinating Committee reserves the right to, whenever the need arises, request that funds in possession of a LOC be transferred to the official bank account of the TakeitBack Movement and/or utilized to meet specific needs of TakeitBack, even if such needs are outside the focus or geographical sphere of that particular LOC.

·         Provided that there are sufficient funds in its possession, a LOC is obligated to remit the unused and/or uncommitted portion of such funds to the official bank account of the TakeitBack Movement at least twice a month.

·         A LOC is NOT authorized or permitted to solicit financial donations in the name of TakeitBack and/or Omoyele Sowore into any PERSONAL account or other PERSONAL online money transfer services such as (but not limited to) PayPal, Venmo, Dwolla, Skrill, Payza, WePay, or WorldRemmit without a prior written and formal approval from the Director for Diaspora Activities of TakeitBack or another person so delegated and authorized by the Central Coordinating Committee.

·         No LOC located, situated or otherwise primarily domiciled in Nigeria is authorized or permitted to register as a legal entity and/or to open a commercial or private bank account in any locality or jurisdiction. Such activities are the exclusive preserves and prerogatives of the National Coordinating Committee in Nigeria.

LOCAL ELECTIONS, CONSTITUTION, REGULATION AND DISCPLINE

·         Elections of Officers of LOC will be organized, supervised and coordinated by the appropriate arm of the Central Coordinating Committee

·         Terms of elections shall be for one Calendar year, unless otherwise specified prior to the conduct of such elections.

·         An elected official of a LOC shall remain in such position for the duration of his or her Term of election as long as he or she is demonstrably capable of fulfilling the requirements of the office to which he or she has been elected.

·         In the event of the resignation, removal, incapacitation, non-availability or the inability or unwillingness of an elected official of a LOC an out-of-band, snap elections MUST be conducted at the earliest possible. Such election shall follow the same protocols as defined above.

·         Upon just cause and reliable information or suspicion an elected official of a LOC is subject to disciplinary actions by his or her peers within the same LOC, provided that:

·         A comprehensive, dispassionate and objective documentation of the substance of the accusation or alleged offense/infraction of the official is publicly and visibly announced to the general members of the LOC by the appropriately delegated officer of the LOC, through the same broadcast medium used by the LOC for ordinary, normal communication with its members.

·         Such announcement is made to the general membership only ONCE

·         The accused official is given sufficient time and opportunity to similarly present a ONE-TIME defense of him- or herself against any and all accusations.

·         Consequent upon the afore-mentioned accusation-defense process, if still deemed warranted, a LOC may proceed with a formal, non-public deliberation of the accusation or allegation against the defending official, provided that such official is invited to such proceeding in writing and an official complaint against the official has been transmitted to the Central Organizing Committee prior to the deliberation.

·         Any disciplinary action (other than excommunication, or removal from groups and/or office) emanating from such deliberation are agreed to by at least two-third of the full body of the elected members of the LOC.

·         Extreme disciplinary actions amounting to removal of an elected official of TakeitBack from office, post, assignment or any TakeitBack group must be approved by a Select Disciplinary Committee which has been constituted by the Central Organizing Committee specifically for the evaluation and review of the LOC’s decision. A Select Disciplinary Committee must be made up of an even number of members of the Central Organizing Committee which shall not be less than four (4).

INSUBORDINATION and ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES

A LOC stands accused of insubordination and anti-Party activities and is, therefore, subject to summary dissolution if:

·         A majority of its officials refuse or otherwise fail to acknowledge the receipt of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions

·         A majority of its officials refuse or otherwise fail to agree to the entirety of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions

·         It (or one or more of its officials) espouses, creates, publishes, releases, disseminates directives, rules, regulations, provisions or other instruments or artefacts which directly or indirectly violates, infringes, impugns, contradicts, negates or otherwise have the potentials to override or proscribe the provisions of these OFFICIAL Rules, Regulations and Provisions of the TakeitBack Movement.

MODIFICATION, COMPLIANCE, INFRACTION AND SANCTION

·         These Rules, Regulations and Provisions may be modified at any time only by the Central Coordinating Committee, the Leader and Convener, or a person who has been duly and explicitly authorized by the Leader and Convener to do so in his stead.

·         These Rules, Regulations and Provisions shall be posted in a restricted area of the official Website of AAC and TakeitBack

·         The entirety of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions (or any portion(s) thereof) is/are subject to modification, alteration, suspension or waiver from enforcement by the Central Coordinating Committee, at any time, at the sole discretion of the Central Coordinating Committee and without prior consultation, where such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the Movement.

·         Access to this restricted area shall be granted to each member of a LOC, and the URL shall be formally communicated to each member via email, or as determined appropriate and sufficient by the Central Coordinating Committee.

·         Each member of a LOC shall be required to accept the terms of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions within 7 days of being informed of the URL

·         Any and all members of each LOC (whether elected, nominated or appointed) is required, obligated and expected to read AND accept the complete terms of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions

·         It is the responsibility of a LOC Coordinator to ensure that each member of his/her LOC has electronically received, agreed to and signed the Rules, Regulations and Provisions.

·         A member of a LOC must resign his/her position in the LOC if she/he is unable or unwilling to agree to the complete terms of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions

·         A member of a LOC in violation of any part of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions shall receive a formal reprimand for first violation, with the expectation that such violation shall be immediately corrected.

·         A member of a LOC in a repeat (or uncorrected) violation of any part of these Rules, Regulations and Provisions shall be suspended or dismissed from TakeitBack, depending on the severity of such violation.

·         At all times, where an incompatibility, variance, or disagreement arises (or could potentially arise), all members of a LOC expressly agrees to subsume all interests, aspirations, objectives, activities, opinions, actions or plans to those of TakeitBack as defined, decided or determined by the Leader and Convener and/or delegated through his authorized Representative(s).