Constitution

All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools Constitution

ARTICLE 1: TITLE

The Conference shall be a National Organization embracing all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, and shall be called the ALL NIGERIA CONFEDERATION OF PRINCIPALS OF SECECONDARY SCHOOLS (ANCOPSS).

ARTICLE 2: DEFINITION

i. Secondary Schools in this context refer to all Post-Primary Institutions in Nigeria.

ii. Nig. – means Nigeria.

iii. Sec. – means Secondary

ARTICLE 3: AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE CONFERENCE

(i) To provide an opportunity for principals of post-primary schools in Nigeria to exchange views and make recommendations on matters affecting education in Nigeria.

(ii) To present to government and the public an informed and independent body of opinions on such matters as in (i) above.

(iii) To publish findings on matters affecting education considered to be in the public interest.

(iv) To rise the standard of Post-primary school education through dedication to duty and all methods deemed fit by the conference to promote excellence.

(v) To encourage research and experiments in education.

ARTICLE 4: STRUCTURAL ORGANISATION AND GOVERNANCE

(i) There shall be a branch in each state of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory made up of zonal branches. Each state branch shall be called ANCOPSS……………………….State Branch while each zonal branch shall be called ANCOPSS……………………….Zonal Branch.

(ii) The Conference shall be governed by its constitution, Bye-laws and Standing Orders.

(iii) The governance of the conference shall be vested in the following bodies:-

(a) The National Congress

(b) The National Executive Council (NEC)

(d) The State executive council

(e) The Zonal Conference

(f) The Zonal Executive council.

ARTICLE 5: MEMBERSHIP

(i) Membership shall be mandatory on all Post-primary schools recognized by either the Federal or State Governments.

(ii) Each member school shall pay Annual dues / levies as may be decided by the congress from time to time.

(iii) The Secretary of each State Branch shall compile and submit the list of schools in the state to the National Secretary at the beginning of each academic year.

(iv) Any state which fails to comply with (ii) above shall not qualify to present candidates for elections into any office and/or for appointments or nominations into representative positions on outside bodies.

(v) A State executive Council shall have the right to nominate ex-principals who have served the conference credibly for the award of the Conference Medallion. Such nomination(s) shall be presented to the National Executive Council (NEC) for ratification at the NEC meeting preceding the Annual congress and for the honour to be conferred at an Annual Congress. Such medallion recipient(s) shall have the right to attend annual Congresses but shall neither hold office nor vote.

ARTICLE 6: OFFICERS OF THE CONFERENCE

THE OFFICERS OF THE CONFERENCE SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:

(i) The National President.

(ii) The First National Vice-President.

(iii) The Second National Vice-President.

(iv) The National Secretary.

(v) The National Assistant Secretary.

(vi) The National Financial Secretary.

(vii) The National Treasurer.

(viii) The National Editor-in-chief.

(ix) The National Assistant Editor-in-chief.

(x) The National Publicity Secretary.

(xi) The National Assistant Publicity Secretary.

(xii) The National Internal Auditor.

(xiii) The National Orator

(xiv) Three Ex-officio members.

(xv) Immediate Past President.

(xvi) Immediate Past Secretary.

National Officers of the Conference shall automatically be members of the Executive Council of their respective State Branches.

ARTICLE 7: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

i. THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT

a. Shall preside over all meetings of the Conference and the Executive Council.

b. Shall arrange in consultation with the National Secretary adhoc representations of the Conference.

c. Shall supervise the National Secretary in ensuring that an up-to-date register of membership is maintained in strict compliance with the requirements of the constitution.

d. Shall supervise the National Financial Secretary in ensuring that members fulfill their financial obligations to the Conference by promptly paying all their dues and subscriptions.

e. Shall ensure that decisions taken at Congress and National Executive Council meetings are properly and promptly executed.

f. Shall authorize all payments.

g. Shall be co-signatory to the accounts of the Conference.

ii THE FIRST NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT

a. Shall deputize for the National President at all meetings of the Conference and Executive Council in the absence of the President.

b. Shall assist the National President in ensuring that the National compliance with the requirement of the constitution.

c. Shall assist the National President to supervise the Financial Secretary in ensuring that members fulfill their financial obligations to the conference by promptly paying all their dues and subscriptions.

iii THE SECOND NATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT

a. Shall deputise for the National President in the absence of the National President and the First National Vice- President, at all meetings of the conference and Executive Council.

b. Shall assist the National President in ensuring that decision taken at Congress and Executive Council meetings are properly and promptly executed.

iv. THE NATIONAL SECRETARY

a. Shall conduct all correspondence on behalf of the conference.

b. Shall liaise with the National President in implementing the decision of the Conference and the Executive Council.

c. Shall maintain an up-to-date list of members.

d. Shall present a comprehensive annual report of the activities of the Conferences at its annual Congress.

e. Shall take and keep records of proceedings at all meetings of the Conference and the Executive Council.

f. Shall convene Executive Council meetings at the instance of the National President.

g. Shall be co-signatory to the accounts of the Conference.

h. Shall keep an up-to date inventory of all Conference records/documents and secretarial materials and properly ensure their safe keeping.

v. THE ASSISTANT NATIONAL SECRETARY.

a. Shall assist the National Secretary in taking and keeping records of proceedings at all meetings of the Conference and Executive Council.

b. Shall assist the National Secretary in convening Executive Committee meetings at the instance of the National President.

c. Shall assist the National Secretary in conducting correspondence as and when necessary.

vi. THE NATIONAL TREASURER

a. Shall be responsible for the safe keeping of all the monies of the Conference.

b. Shall deposit all monies collected into the Bank within a maximum of one week after each meeting.

c. Shall present a statement of account of the conference as its Annual congress. Such statement shall be available not later than the first day of the Annual congress.

d. Shall be co-signatory to the accounts of the Conference.

e. Shall prepare an annual budget which shall be presented at the National Executive Council meeting preceding the Annual Congress for ratification and final approval by the Congress.

f. Shall present a statement of account of the Conference at its Annual Congress or at any other time as may be required by National Executive Council.

vii. THE NATIONAL FINANCIAL SECRETARY

a. Shall be responsible for collecting annual dues and other subscriptions and paying same to the National Treasurer.

b. Shall collect exhibition fees from book publishers, photographers, etc. during annual Congress and pay all such fees to the National Treasurer promptly.

c. Shall issues official ANCOPSS receipts for all payments made to the Conference.

d. Shall regularly advise all members whose subscriptions and annual dues are in arrears.

e. Shall liaise with the National President in ensuring that members fulfill their financial obligations to the Conference by promptly paying their dues.

viii. THE NATIONAL EDITOR-IN-CHEIF

a. Shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Editorial Board which shall have the responsibility of publishing the ANCOPSS Journals.

b. Shall renders accurate account of the expenditures incurred and the income derived from the publication of the journal at the first Executive Council meeting after the Annual Congress

c. Shall with the cooperation of the Editorial Board, be responsible for the production of any other publication which the Conference might decide to publish.

x. THE NATIONAL ASSISTANT EDITOR-IN-CHEIF

a. Shall deputize for the National Editor-in-Chief in his absence.

b. Shall assist the National Editor-In-Chief in his usual duties and shall carry out any other duties that may from time to time be assigned to him.

x. THE NATIONAL PUBLICITY SECRETARY

a. Shall give adequate publicity to all the activities of the National Conference.

b. Shall preside over the Resolutions Committee set up at all National Executive Council meetings and the annual Congress.

c. Shall arrange for adequate press coverage of all Conference activities.

d. Shall defend the policies of the Conference when necessary.

e. Shall perform any other duties that may be assigned to him by National Executive Council.

xi. THE NATIONAL ASSISTANT PUBLICITY SECRETARY

a. Shall deputize for the National Publicity Secretary in his absence

b. Shall assist the National publicity Secretary in the efficient performance of his duties.

c. Shall ensure compliance with the standing order at National Executive Council meetings and annual Congresses.

d. Shall liaise with the hosting states to organize and execute all the social activities of the Conference at NEC meetings and annual Congresses.

xii. THE NATIONAL INTERNAL AUDITOR

a. Shall audit the accounts of the Conference every year and submit his report to the NEC meetings preceding the annual Congresses.

b. Shall have the right of access to all the accounts books, vouchers, Bank account, Bank statements, cheque books, tellers and all other books kept by the Financial officer of the Conference and which he may consider necessary for the effective performance of his duties.

c. Shall present his final audit reports to the annual Congress.

xiii. THE NATIONAL ORATOR

a. Shall be Chairman of the medallion Committee.

b. Shall collect and collate curriculum vitae of recommended ANCOPSS medallion and Merit Awardees.

c. Shall write out the citations of all approved Awardees of ANCOPSS Medallion and Merit Awardees.

d. Shall read the citations of the recipients at Annual Congresses.

xiv. EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

There shall be three Ex-officio members in ANCOPSS National Executive Council whose duties:

Shall be to carry out any other duties as may be assigned to him by the President and the National Executive Council.
Shall be to act in an advisory capacity to the National Executive Council.

xv. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

a. Shall act in an advisory capacity to the National Executive Council.

b. Shall carry out any other duties as may be assigned to him by the President and the National Executive Council.

xvi. IMMEDIATE PAST SECRETARY

a. Shall act in an advisory capacity to the National Executive Council

b. Shall carry out any other duties as may be assigned to him by the President and the National Executive Council.

ARTICLE 8: EDITORIAL BOARD

The Editorial Board shall consist of the Editor-in-Chief, Assistant Editor and five other members nominated by the National Executive Council from the state of the Editor-in-Chief and two other neighboring states.

ARTICLE 9: THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC)

a. COMPOSITION:-

The National Executive Council of the Conference shall be made up of the following.

i. All Officers of the Conference as in article 5 above provided they are still serving Principals in the Secondary School system. In the case of the immediate past President/Secretary, they must have been further adjudged to have had clean record while in office.

ii. All Presidents and Secretaries of state branches of the Conference.

b. DUTIES:-

The Executive Council shall be responsible for carrying on the activities of the Conference in between the annual Congress and the affairs of the Conference during the year.

c. MEETINGS:-

The Executive Council shall meet in February, April and August of each year on a rotational basis from state to state. The April meeting of the NEC shall be considered as part of the annual congress.

d. QUORUM:-

Quorum at an Executive Committee meeting shall be at least Six (6) National officers which shall include either the National President or one of the National Vice-Presidents, one third of the numbers of the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

e. POWER TO APPOINT CONFERENCE REPRESENTATIVES ON OUTSIDE BODIES:-

The National Executive Council shall have power to appoint representatives of the Conference on outside bodies. Such appointments shall however be in compliance with article 4(iv) of the constitution. Such appointed representatives shall hold office for not more than two terms of two years each.

f. POWER TO SUSPEND ELECTED OFFICER OF THE CONFERENCE FROM OFFICE.

The NEC shall have the power to suspend from office any elected officer of the Conference who, in the opinion of the NEC fails to perform effectively any or all the duties of his office through a vote of no confidence supported by a simple majority of those present at the NEC meeting wherein the issue is raised.

g. POWER TO APPOINT PROTEM OFFICERS:-

The Executive Council shall have the power to appoint protem officers from among the elected members of the Executive Council to fill any vacant office until the next Annual Congress when such vacant offices shall normally be filled by elections.

ARTICLE 10: NATIONAL STANDING COMMITTEE

a. COMPOSITION:-

There shall be a National standing committee of the conference made up of the following officers:-

1. The National President

2. The First Vice-President

3. The Second Vice-President

4. The Secretary

5. The Treasurer

6. The Financial Secretary

7. The Publicity Secretary

b. FUNCTIONS:-

The Committee shall perform such functions as may be delegated to it by the NEC.

ARTICLE 11: GEO-POLITICAL ZONES

1. The Composition of the Geo-political zones shall be as listed below:

SOUTH WEST:- Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun , Lagos and Ogun.

SOUTH SOUTH:- Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, Edo and Bayelsa.

SOUTH EAST:- Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu

NORTH CENTRAL:- Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Nassarawa and F.C.T

NORTH WEST:- Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara and Jigawa.

NORTH EAST:- Bauchi ,Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Borno and Yobe.

2. There shall be a chairman for each of the geo-political zones who shall be a member of the National Executive Council.

ARTICLE 12: ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE CONFERENCE

i. All the elective posts of the Conference shall be filled by elections at an annual Congress by delegates from the States and the Federal Capital Territory. For the purpose of the elections, each state (including the Federal Capital Territory) is to supply delegates at the ratio of one Principal for every ten registered schools (1:10). None of the delegates should be of those attending the congress in an acting or observer capacity. Candidate for such elective posts must have served in the National Executive Council

ii. The office of the National President shall be filled from among the member- states other than the state that produced the immediate past National President.

iii. Should the Presidency fall vacant before the expiration of his term the First Vice-President shall succeed to the office of the President while the Second Vice-President shall succeed to the office of the First Vice-President and the Second Vice-President shall be filled from among the members of the National Executive Council (NEC). All such officers shall be on acting capacities until the next annual Congress when elections shall be held in accordance with Article 10(i) and (ii) of this constitution.

iv. The three zonal Chairmen of geo-political zones other than the zone of the three national officers; National President, National Secretary and National Treasurer.

v. In pursuance of the principle of geographical spread, all elective national posts shall, as much as possible, be filled in such a way that no one state shall produce more than one of the officers at a time.

vi. All the elected officers of the Conference shall hold offices at the pleasure of the Conference for a Period of two years. They could stand for re-election only once.

vii. The assistant Secretary, who shall come from the same state as the National President, Shall be nominated by the state Conference of the President. Such a nomination shall be ratified by the NEC of ANCOPSS. He/She shall retire with the National President.

viii. Any officers of the Conference who is contesting another office shall have his/her current office declared vacant but shall continue to function in that office until elections shall have been concluded.

ix. An officers of the Conference who fails to attend two consecutive meetings of the National Executive Council (NEC) without valid reason(s) or who, in the opinion of the NEC, fails to perform effectively the duties of his/her office shall be suspended from office by a resolution supported by simple majority of those present at the NEC meeting where the issue is raised. The NEC shall till the vacancy so created vide Article 8(g) of this constitution.

ARTICLE 13: VOTING PROCEDURE

i. For all the elections, there shall be appointed a Returning officer who is not contesting any office and who shall take charge of the elections.

ii. Voting shall be by secret ballot or by show of hands if the Conference so decides.

iii. For resolutions, a simple majority of those present, and voting shall be sufficient, provided a quorum has been formed.

ARTICLE 14: FINANCE

i. The Conference fund shall be derived from the following sources:- a. Annual Subscriptions by members.

b. Proceeds from sales of publications.

c. Grants from Government and other bodies.

d. Income from investments.

e. Donations and gifts.

ii. The annual subscriptions shall be decided by the Conference from time to time.

iii. Payment of the subscriptions shall be made through the state Conference, or, where there is no state Conference, directly to the Financial Secretary.

iv. The fund of the Conference shall be deposited in the banks approved by the Executive Council.

v. The signatory to the accounts of the Conference shall be the National President, the National Treasurer and/or the National Secretary.

ARTICLE 15: TRUSTEES OF THE CONFERENCE

The National trustees of the Conference shall be six representatives of the geo-political zones of the country. This is been made up of the under listed:

1. The National President

2. The National Secretary

3. The National Treasurer

4. Three Zonal leaders representing geo-political zones other than the zone of the three national officers listed above.

ARTICLE 16: SPECIAL CLAUSE

i. The income and property of the REGISTERED TRUSTEES of All Nig. Confederation of Principals of Sec. Schools, however derived, in respect of the Trust shall be apply solely towards the promotion of the objects of the organization, as set forth in this constitution and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred directly or indirectly by way of dividends, bonus or otherwise by way of profit to members of the Organisation.

ii. PROVIDED that nothing herein shall prevent the payment in good faith, of reasonable and proper remuneration to any officer or servant of the Organisation in return for any services actually rendered to the Organisation, but so that no member of the Governing Council shall be appointed to any salaried office of the Organisation or any officer of the Organisation paid fees and that no enumeration or other benefit in money or monies shall be given by the REGISTERED TRUSTEES to any member of the Governing Council except repayment of out of pocket expenses, or reasonable and proper rent for premises demised or let to the Organization provided that the provision last foresaid shall not apply to any payment of any money to member of the organization on behalf of the company in which such member shall not hold more than one hundred part of the Capital, and such member shall not be bound to account for any share of profit he may receive in respect of any payment.

iii. NO ADDITION, alteration or amendment shall be made to or in the CONSTITUTION for the time being in force, unless the same has been previously submitted to and approved by the appropriate authority.

iv. In the event of a winding up or dissolution of the All Nig. Conference of Principals of Sec. Schools if there remains, after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities, any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the Organisation, but shall be given or transferred to some other institution or institutions, having object similar to the object of All Nig. Conference of Principals of Sec. Schools and the body or bodies are prohibited from distributing its or their income among its or their members to an extent at least as great as is imposed on the Organisation under or by virtue of the SPECIAL CLAUSE hereof, such institution or institutions to be determined by the Governing Council at or before the time of dissolution and if in so far as effect cannot be given to the aforesaid provision, then to some charitable object.

ARTICLE 17: APPLICATION OF ANCOPSS CONSTITUTION TO STATE BRANCHES OF THE CONFERENCE

The constitution shall from the basis for the constitution of the state branches of the Conference, subject to local modifications, provided that such modifications shall not conflict with this constitution.

ARTICLE 18: AMMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION

Request for an amendments to the constitution shall be signed by not less than six(6) financial member-states and sent to the National President early enough to enable the National Secretary give not less than one month's notice to all members before the meeting at which the amendments are to be considered. An amendments to the constitution shall be made at the annual Congress by a two-thirds majority of those present provided a quorum has been formed.

ARTICLE 19: EFFECTIVE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF THE REVISED CONSTITUTION

The former constitution is hereby repealed and this revised edition of the constitution shall be deemed to have commenced on 21st of April 2005

This constitution of the ANCOPSS, Abuja Chapter is the same as the national constitution of the ANCOPSS!