CONSTITUTION OF
THE ASSOCIATION
OF
NIGERIAN
SOCIALIST
WRITERS AND ARTISTS
(ANSWA)
PREAMBLE
We, the Progressive Writers, Journalists and
Artists of Nigeria gathered here in the City of Lagos, Nigeria this May Day
1967:
·
Dedicated to the total liberation of
other African countries still under imperialist and colonialist domination and
the unconditional surrender of neo-colonialist pockets in our great continent;
·
Conscious of the grave responsibility
which the demands for socialist education and for a new and better social order
in this country and continent places on the writers, journalists and artists of
Africa;
·
Inspired by a common determination to
discharge this onerous responsibility without fear of favour;
·
Convinced of the great role of the
African writers and artists in the realization of peace, prosperity and unity
among workers peasants and oppressed masses of Africa;
·
Determined to safeguard and consolidate
the hard-won independence of African States and give it a new meaning;
·
Persuaded in the belief that a strong
group of dedicated, clear-headed, honest, hardworking, progressive Nigerian
Writers working in concert with the main stream of World Socialism can for all time correct the present confused
understanding in this country of the real meaning and import of scientific
socialism;………….
ARTICLE
1
ORGANIZATION
1. ………………………………………………………RESOLVE
THAT the Progressive Journalists, Writers and Artists of Nigeria, do by the present constitution establish an
organization to be known as the ASSOCIATION
OF NIGERIAN SOCIALIST WRITERS AND ARTISTS.
2.
The ANSWA shall seek recognition within
Nigeria and at International level.
3.
The Headquarters shall be at Lagos. It
can be transferred to any other locality if so decided by the Congress.
ARTICLE
2
AIMS
AND OBJECTIVES
1.
To promote a better appreciation and
understanding of Scientific Socialism in theory and practice; and to creatively
inculcate socialist culture, humanitarian and egalitarian values.
2.
To give unflinching support to all
liberation movements in this country and continent through the medium of the
Press, Radio, Television and other mass communication media and to contribute
effectively without fear or favour towards the total liberation of Africa from
imperialist and neo-colonialist domination.
3.
To uphold the principle of African Unity
and to press for the complete independence of all Africa.
4.
To help through the medium of the Press,
Radio, Television and other mass communication media all liberation movements
by presenting the objective fact in any conflict or dispute involving African
Political Organizations, intellectual groups and African countries.
5.
To work generally for the welfare of
African Writers, Artists and Journalists;
·
By defending their rights and privileges
concerning freedom of expression and use
of information;
·
By promoting professional training of a
kind to produce socialist and progressive Writers, Journalists and Artists,
through seminars, setting up of educational facilities, and initiating the
exchange of programmes and equipments among Progressive Writers, Artists and
Journalists of the World.
6.
To act as a clearing house for all
assistance in the form of scholarships, equipment and finance to Nigerian
Progressive Journalists, Writers and Artists.
7.
To assist in the great task of reviving
and perpetuating the culture of Africa, part of which has been mutilated by the
negative impact of capitalist civilization and imperialist domination.
ARTICLE
3
MEMBERSHIP
1. TWO TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP
·
Full
·
Honorary Associate Membership
2.
Full membership is normally accorded to
journalists, writers, artists of African descent resident in Nigeria who by
profession, intentions and disposition
·
Accept the science of Marxism and
Leninism
·
Are committed and are consistently
participating in the struggle for
socialism
·
Can show evidence of his concrete
contribution and
·
Ready to accept the discipline of the
Association.
3.
The secretariat shall first make
investigation about the candidate and make its report to the Steering
Committee.
4.
The admission to membership rests solely
on the decision of the Steering Committee after an examination of the
candidate.
5.
Honourary Associate Membership is
accorded only to Nigerians and non-Nigerians resident abroad.
6.
Membership of ANSWA is incompatible with any affiliation and/or
loyalty to any international writers, journalists and artists organization.
ARTICLE
4
ORGANS
AND FUNCTIONS
1. CONGRESS:
·
Is the highest authority of the ANSWA.
·
It comprises of all members of ANSWA
present or therein represented.
·
Must meet at least once every year in an
ordinary session.
·
It may meet in extraordinary session.
·
It may, subject to the legal
dispositions in force, accept at a simple authority of its active members,
present or represented legacies, donations or grants.
·
Decisions taken by the Congress shall be
binding on all members, whether present or absent or represented during the
session at which such decisions have been taken. These decisions come
immediately into force except otherwise decided by the Congress. The Congress
may allow derogations or temporary dispensation for members who cannot
subscribe to these decisions because of impelling situations.
2. STEERING COMMITTEE
·
It shall be the executive central bureau
of the association and therefore the policy-making organ.
·
Must meet at least four times in a year.
3. PERMANENT SECRETARIAT:
·
Its responsibility shall be to
coordinate the activities of all working Committees and commissions of ANSWA.
·
To ensure up-to-date documentation and
publication of all materials which are of ideological interest to the
Progressive Press in any part of the World.
·
To ensure that decisions taken by the
Steering Committees are carried out.
·
To assist in the smooth functioning of
all the Commissions in their activities.
·
To direct the Administrative Secretary
in the performance of thise tasks delegated to him from time to time.
·
The Secretariat must meet at least once
in two weeks.
4. SPECIALIZED COMMISSIONS:
·
To study or tackle specific problems
such as participating in the development of technical means of information in
Africa or recommend the use of particular instruments and equipments and
methods of training personnel.
·
The commission shall be:
-
Technical Commission
-
Education and Professional Training
Commission (Art, radio and TV, Theatre).
-
Radio-Visual Commission
-
Cultural Commission
-
Library and Publishing House Commission
POSTSCRIPT:
The steering Committee
shall define and when necessary revise the composition and functions of the
Commissions and regulate and guide their work and decisions. The Steering
Committee may appoint any other Commission as emergencies may warrant.
5. FINANCE COMMITTEE
·
To see that the assets of the
Association are wisely, honestly administered in a way to enable the
association to fulfil its tasks in the most efficient way.
·
To suggest regularly, guidelines of how
best to strengthen the resources of the Association in a way that will not
endanger the freedom of action of the Association in fulfilling its set
mission.
ARTICLE
5
COMPOSITION
OF THE ORGANS
1.
(i). Steering Committee has the
following membership:
·
A President
·
Chairman of the Commissions
·
The Secretary of the Finance Committee
·
An Administrative Secretary of the
Secretariat
·
The secretaries of each of the
Commissions.
(ii).
Members of the Steering Committee are elected for one year and all such members
are eligible for re-election.
(iii).
Members of the Steering Committee are elected by the absolute majority of the
members present or represented in the quorum of the Congress.
2. The Secretariat shall be made up
of:
·
The Secretaries of the Commissions
·
The Finance Secretary
·
An Administrative Secretary.
3. FINANCE COMMITTEE:
(i).
Members shall be composed of
·
A representative from each of the
Commissions who must not be the Chairman or the Secretary of the Commission.
·
A Finance Secretary elected at the
meeting of the Congress.
·
A representative of the Secretariat
·
The President and a representative from
the Steering Committee.
ARTICLE
6
ACCOUNTS
OF THE ASSOCIATION
1.
The Accounts of the Association shall be
managed and administered by the Finance Committee under the following accounts:
·
Secretariat Account
·
An Account for each of the Commissions.
2.
All expenditures must receive the
authorization of the Steering committee.
3.
Withdrawals from the Accounts of the
Secretariat shall be signed by
·
President
·
The Finance Secretary
·
A member of the Secretariat who must
also have been a member of the Steering Committee.
4.
Withdrawals from the accounts of the
Commissions shall be signed by
·
The President
·
Finance Secretary
·
A member of the Commission whose account
is concerned.
ARTICLE
7
FINANCE
OBLIGATIONS
·
Every member of the Association is
obligated to pay a monthly contribution.
The amount of members’ contributions is fixed by the Congress.
·
Every member admitted to the ANSWA
during a financial year is to pay its quota.
·
The payment of contributions is required
from the beginning of the financial period of exercise.
·
If the letter of resignation of a member
does not arrive to the Secretariat six months before expiration of a financial
year, the resigning member has to pay his full share of contributions for the
financial year during which he has resigned.
·
The financial period begins on the 1st
of January and ends on the 31st of December of the same year.
·
Each Congress shall elect an audit Committee
to examine the financial management of the steering Committee. This Committee
shall report to Congress to whom it shall be reposible.
ARTICLE
8
1. CONGRESS
·
The congress is convened in ordinary or
extraordinary session by the Steering Committee.
·
An extraordinary session shall be called
by the Steering Committee on the advice of two-thirds of the financial members
of the Association.
·
Invitations to an ordinary session of
the congress must be sent under registered cover at least two months prior to
the date appointed for the meeting. This respite may however be reduced under
exceptional circumstances should an extraordinary session be convened.
·
Only accredited representatives shall
have the right to take part in deliberations of the Congress or Conferences
2. Steering Committee
·
A meeting of this committee will
normally be convened by the President. But the President must call the meeting
when asked for by at least 50% of the members of the Steering committee or 50%
of members of the Secretariat or 50% of the members of any of the Commissions.
·
Invitations to meetings of the Committee
must be sent under registered cover at least a month prior to the date
appointed for such a meeting.
3. GENERAL
·
No meeting of the Steering Committee,
Secretariat, Finance Committee and Commissions can be regarded constitutionally
held unless all members of each of these organs are previously informed of the
time, and place of the meeting by written and signed letters of invitation.
·
No meeting of any of the organs of ANSWA
can be said to be constitutional unless two-thirds of the members of the organ
are present.
·
Under normal circumstances any meeting
of the Secretariat, Finance Committee, the Commissions may be summoned by
written invitations duly signed by either the Chairman or the Secretaries or
two-thirds of the members of any of these organs concerned.
ARTICLE
9
INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
·
The Association shall be completely
independent of all other international associations of journalists, writers and
artists.
·
Nevertheless, it maintains bonds of
solidarity and collaboration with all International democratic organizations,
committed to the safeguard of the interests of the Press or to any other
movements concerned with the emancipation of peoples or committed to the
safeguard of the peoples’ freedom.
In this framework, the
ANSWA shall actively participate in all Conferences or Congresses of African,
Asian, Latin American or Democratic International Organizations whose aims are
compatible with those of the ANSWA.
ARTICLE
10
RESIGNATION
1.
Any member who so desires may resign
from ANSWA. He must however, inform the Steering Committee by registered letter
and pay all dues and contributions he may have in arrears.
2.
Any member who resigns loses
automatically, as from the date of his resignation, all rights over assets of
the Association.
ARTICLE
11
RESOURCES
The
financial resources of ANSWA are:-
·
Annual Contributions of its members
·
Voluntary contributions
·
Revenues realized from sales of
publications and other activities
·
Gifts, legacies, donations and grants
from friends and admirers of the ANSWA.
ARTICLE
12
DISSOLUTION,
MODIFICATIONS OF STANDING ORDERS
·
The propositions concerning dissolution
of the ANSWA or the modification of the contribution could come from either the
Steering Committee or from the Congress.
·
The dissolution of ANSWA during an
ordinary or extraordinary session and the modification of his contribution can
be validly decided upon by the Congress only if at least two-thirds of the
members of the ANSWA vote in favour.
·
In the case of dissolution the net assets
of ANSWA will be assigned, after deliberations of the Congress to an
organization with similar objectives to those of the ANSWA.
ARTICLE
13
STANDING
ORDERS
All special provisions
not set out in these statutes shall be laid down in the standing orders to be
drawn by the Steering Committee.
