MN Chapter Leadership Appointed, Election Set For February

By Gibson W. Jerue

The Chairman of the National Board of Directors, Mr. Joseph Dueh, has appointed the Interim
Leadership Administration (ILA) of the Minnesota Chapter of the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas (GGAA). Mr. Dusty Tarlue Kaine is the head of the ILA to bring sanity and ensure that free, fair and democratic elections are held in February of 2016.

Other officers and members of the Interim Leadership Administration are; Mr. Jerry Zeah, Vice Chairman, Mr. Brown O. Jayee, Secretary, Mrs. Edwina Taye-Willie, Treasurer and Mrs. Maria Tarlue-Kieta, Member. The body will take possession of properties of the Minnesota Chapter effective immediately. All members of the Interim body are said to have accepted their preferment.

In a letter, dated November 23, 2015, and addressed to Mr. Kaine and each member of the ILA, the Board said the term of the Interim Leadership Administration takes immediate “effect as of Monday, November 23 [2015] and ending no later than Sunday, February 28, 2016.”

The appointment of the ILA follows a Board mass meeting with majority of the board members unanimously voting to institute an interim body to steer the ship of affairs of the Minnesota Chapter and ensure that all parties participate in a free, fair and democratic elections. The board members overwhelmingly accepted the selection of members of the interim body during the meeting.

Mr. Dueh wrote, “Your appointment is based on a recommendation from the National Board of Directors following the conduct of a two-day thorough fact-finding investigation.” He added that the investigation was a result of a number of complaints surrounding the aborted September 27th electoral process within your chapter.

“This action is in line with my constitutional obligation to ensuring peace and sanity is restored within the Minnesota Chapter and all other chapters within the Grand Gedeh Association in the Americas (GGAA) Inc.,” Mr. Dueh noted, and added, “You have the full mandate of the National Leadership of the GGAA to provide temporary governance and take possession of all assets of the Minnesota Chapter…”

The Board has mandated Dusty Tarlue Kaine leadership to take possession of the Minnesota Chapter’s office located at 1710  Douglas Drive, Golden Valley, Minnesota, 55422, the Minnesota Chapter’s account(s) at the TCF Bank and/or any other banking institutions within the State of Minnesota, and ensuring a mass voters’ registration of all Members of the Minnesota Chapter of voting age who are willing to register and vote.

The ILA is also mandated to coordinate with the Independent Elections Commission in conducting free, fair, transparent, democratic elections for the Minnesota Chapter’s executive leadership and a lone seat on the Minnesota Chapter’s Board, and coordinate with the Independent Elections Commission to ensure the Minnesota Chapter’s elections are held under the GGAA National Constitution.

The appointment of an interim administration followed the breakdown of an electoral process in which the ad-hoc election commission headed by Barway Sluward Barway. The Minnesota election commission disqualified the entire Nyenon-Barlue team because the commission said the secretarial candidate of the team withdrew. the Barway commission declared Aggie Zarzar president without a single ballot cast.

A Board committee was sent to Minnesota. A meeting was held with the parties and an agreement was reached for election to be held. As the Board commission left Minnesota, the President of the Chapter (now former president with the appointment of an interim administration), Alec Deah turned over chapter properties to Aggie Zarzar, who has been spending the Chapter's money since then.

Grand Gedeans in Minnesota have welcomed the new interim administration and vowed to work with new team to ensure free, fair and democratic elections. "We will do everything to make them successful," former President Alex Barmon said.

The Tarnyon Nyenon team has embraced the appointment of the new interim body and said it will work with the interim body during the electoral process. "We wanted election, period," said presidential Candidate Tarnyon Nyenon, and added, "we respect the decision of the Board."

Angie Shaka Breaks Silence

Calls On National Board and Administration To Act Fast

The Vice President of the Minnesota of the Grand Gedeh Association, Madam Angie Shaka, has broken her silence since the election malaise has broken down the unity of the Chapter. Madam Shaka is calling on the National Board of Directors and National Administration to move fast and act to bring the situation in the Chapter to an amicable resolution.

In her Open Letter To The National Leadership, Angie said there is a fire burning in the Chapter and it needs to be quenched quickly.

“This is why I am calling on the National Administration of Mr. Fred Gwyan and the National Board of Chairman Joseph Dueh to do something about this situation quickly before it is too late because right now our chapter is on fire,” Madam Shaka said.

BELOW IS THE TEXT OF ANGIE SHAKA'S OPEN LETTER TO THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF GGAA

Open Letter To The GGAA National Leadership

November 1, 2015

Mr. National President and National Board Chairman:
I, Angeline Shaka, Vice President of the Minnesota Chapter write to inform you that I am completely against the cancellation of the September 27, [2015] elections in our chapter. The two contesting candidates should have been allowed to partake in the elections and whoever wins becomes our President, rather than cancelling the elections, something I believe was not in the best interest of our chapter.

Besides that, I strongly disagree with the role President Alec Deah has been playing in the whole process because I believe our administration should have played a neutral role and give Grand Gedeans the chance to elect whoever they want to succeed us. As Vice President to President Deah in this chapter, I will never back anything I know very well is completely wrong and will bring division within our chapter. I want us to leave office peacefully and leave behind a united chapter.

Again, I recall writing President Deah on Tuesday, July 14, [2015] expressing my disagreement with him when he said the National Board was interfering in the Minnesota Chapter’s internal matter. This was after the Board Chairman, Joseph Dueh wrote and informed us that the Board has appointed Mr. Kai Matthew Whyee and his team to come for investigation [mission] when this matter was first referred to the Board by GGAA National President, Mr. Fred Gwyan.

This is why I blame President Deah for allowing the disqualification of one team to happen, which has now brought confusion and division in our chapter. I know if President Deah was not in support of that action, it would not have happened. President Deah knew that elections never took place, but he invited me on Sunday, October 11, [2015] to join him one hour to the time to turn over the chapter’s office and bank accounts, when in fact, elections have not taken place.

That was why I refused to participate in something I knew was very, very wrong. All of us knew that election has not taken place in our chapter, so why should I join him to turn over the chapter’s property to anybody else?

Additionally, the turnover was due to take place three days after we received a letter from the National President on Friday, October 9, [2015] placing a ‘HOLD’ on the entire process until a full investigation was conducted in this matter. The National President, [Mr. Gwyan] said he took that decision because he received another complaint from the Minnesota Chapter. So I fell President Deah’s action of turning over our chapter’s property to somebody who was not elected is a defiance to the National President’s decision.
I decided to make my position clear now because people who do not know me may think that I am in support of what President Deah is doing. I feel it is my right to speak out on behalf of the people who elected all of us two years ago. I told President Deah that even though I supported him throughout our administration, I disagree with him on this particular election issue.

During elections time, that is when the people who elected us will have the chance to again exercise their rights to vote for another group of people of their choice. The fact that I am the Vice President to President Deah does not mean that I cannot disagree with him and must support everything he does. I will always respectfully express my disagreement with him whenever I feel his actions are not in the best interest of our chapter, especially concerning this election issue. I have always expressed my disagreement to President Deah in private.

However, I decided to speak out now because I was also not given the chance to vote because the elections were not held. Besides being Vice President, I also have the right to vote for whoever I wanted to vote for. I am also making my positions public now because as Vice President, I do not want people to think that when all this was going on, I did not speak out. I will continue to speak out until this whole matter is resolved peacefully.

I don’t really care who wins, but elections must take place, that is what I believe democracy is all about. I don’t have to be a politician to know or understand that one. I want us to leave office peacefully and not leave confusion behind.

My mean concern right now is that elections must be held in our chapter for us to freely choose our next leaders. This is why I am calling on the National Administration of Mr. Fred Gwyan and the National Board of Chairman Joseph Dueh to do something about this situation quickly before it is too late because right now our chapter is on fire.

Please below my letter to Mr. Alec Deah on July 14, 2015 advising him to respect the Board.

Angeline Shaka

Vice President, Minnesota Chapter, GGAA Inc.

July 14, 2015

Mr. Alec Deah

President,

Minnesota Chapter, GGAA Inc.

Mr. President;

After carefully reading the National Board Chairman’s letter to our administration, I am convinced it was written in good faith. I did not see anything in the letter which shows any interference in our chapter’s internal matter as you stated in your response to Chairman Pyne.

In my opinion, I believe the Chairman was not in any way taking side in this matter. He was only informing you that he was suspending the chapter’s elections until an investigation was conducted. I do not think defying or trying to ignore the National Board’s decision is the right thing to do. However, if you insist on going ahead with the chapter’s elections even though the National Board advised you not to do so, then you do not have my support.

Be reminded that our chapter is under the National Board and the National Administration as such; we must respect both bodies’ decisions if we have nothing to hide.

Truly yours’

Angie Shaka

Vice President, MN Chapter, GGAA Inc.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR4dYMCqa10