GHANA ASSOCIATION IN SIERRA LEONE - CONSTITUTION
GHANA ASSOCIATION IN SIERRA LEONE (GAS)
[MEMBERSHIP]
CONSTITUTION
© December, 2023.
ARTICLE [I]
The Constitution shall become effective upon approval of two-thirds of the Membership and the signatory of the Chairman, dated.
Name of the Chairman………………………………………………………………
Signature
ARTICLE [II.] NAME AND PURPOSE
SECTION A.
[1] The official name for this organization is the GHANA ASSOCIATION IN SIERRA LEONE (GAS), the South-East Regional Chapter.
[2] This organization will use the name and its acronym “GAS” in all publicity materials and correspondence.
SECTION B.
[3] The purpose of this organization, is to promote and protect the welfare of the members, as Ghanaians, as well as Sierra Leonean-Ghanaian Blood lineage, within Sierra Leone.
[4] All activities of this organization must be directed towards this purpose.
ARTICLE [III.] MEMBERSHIP
SECTION A. REQUIREMENT
[5] All admitted members, will be assessed and evaluated by a three-member standing committee, under the authorization of the Chairman, to certify the validity of their Ghanaian origin.
[6] All admitted members, are required to demonstrate support for this organization.
[7] Membership decisions, will not discriminate based on sex and gender identity.
[8] All members are required, to pay a fee for annual membership prior to taking part in any organization activity.
[9] A qualified member is someone admitted into this organization, with good standing in the payment of his/her membership annual subscription, and of goodfate.
[11] The annual fee subscription proposal, shall be developed by a five-member committee, as an ad hoc constituted committee, under the authorization of the Chairman, with their proposal subjected to voting, by a two-third membership vote of approval.
SECTION B. RIGHT
[12] All qualified members, are required to attend all meetings and events of the organization.
[13] If a fee is charged, to attend particular events of the association, the Chairman will institute a three-member ad hoc committee, with the responsibility to establish a fee scale for voting members, non-voting members, and others as deemed appropriate.
SECTION C. WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERSHIP
[14] Members may have their membership withdrawn, for failure to adhere to the requirements and condition for membership as outlined in Section A.
[15] A simple majority vote of the quorum of membership, at a regular or special meetings, shall be sufficient to withdraw membership.
[16] Members to be voted upon, in this regard will be notified of the intention to do so in writing at least seven working days, to mount a defense where need be, before the disciplinary committee, prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken.
ARTICLE [IV.] OFFICERS
SECTION A. OFFICERS TITLES
- Chairman
- Vice Chairman
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Organizer
SECTION B. DUTIES
[17] The Chairman, will ‘Chair’ all the meetings of ‘GAS’, and will call special meetings as needed. The Chairman will vote on ‘GAS’ matters only in case of a tie.
[18] The Vice-Chairman, shall ‘Chair’ any ad hoc committee or task forces of the organization; as well as assume the duty of the Chairman in his/her absence.
[19] The Secretary, shall take records and file meeting minutes, and produce all official correspondence for the organization. And officially serve as the Bank signatory with the Chairman of the organization.
[20] The treasurer, shall maintain records and reports on the financial transactions of GAS.
[21] The organizer, shall direct the planning of the organization’s events and social programs.
SECTION C. REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING FOR AND HOLDING OFFICE
[22] All officers and candidates for office, as at the year two thousand and twenty-three AD are recognized and appointed by Ghana consulate in Sierra Leone, to hold office for the first –four years unless circumstance demands for resignation.
[23] On the 15th of December, two thousand and twenty-seven of the year of our Lord, an election shall be conducted, to vote for officers either to sustain the current office, as their first term or replace them with new candidates, as the circumstance shall permit.
[24] Every elected officer qualifies, for only two terms in office. With the election to vote for office; is a requirement that all eligible officers, must be voting members.
SECTION D. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
[25] Nomination for all offices, shall be conducted at the officially agreed meeting Hall, of the organization on the 15th of December, as the Organization's election date every year.
[26] Any member, may nominate any other qualified member, including himself or herself.
[27] A simple majority vote, of the quorum at the Election meeting, will be sufficient to elect an officer. If there are more than two candidates, and no candidate receives a majority votes, then, there will be a run-off vote, between the top two voted recipients, in the general meeting.
SECTION E. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE
[28] Officers may be removed from office, for failure or inability to perform duties, or for violation of membership clauses.
[29] Officers to be voted upon in this regard, will be notified of the intention to do so in writing, at least fourteen working days, granting them their right to legitimate defense, prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken.
[30] A two-thirds majority of quorum, present at a regularly scheduled meeting, shall be sufficient for removal of an Article IV Officers, from office.
[31] Any officer may resign, by submitting a letter to the Chairman. However, the Chairman may resign, by submitting a letter to the Ghana Consulate of Sierra Leone.
SECTION F. TERMS OF OFFICE AND VACANCIES
[32] The term of office, shall be in every two years, beginning and ending on every fifteenth of December on the annual calendar.
[33] Should a vacancy in office occur, prior to the designated time, there will be another nomination, and election for the vacant office, as the circumstance shall permit.
[34] An eventuality where a vacancy in office occurs, prior to nomination and election, for that vacant office, the associated office below the vacant office, shall promote it officer, deemed qualified, to assume the vacant office, as an interim officer-in-charge, until an elected officer assumes the post.
ARTICLE [V.] MEETINGS
SECTION A.
[35] Regular meetings will be held in the second, and the fourth week of every month, precisely on Sundays, in the evening noon, as the circumstance shall be appealing, to the greater percentage of membership.
[36] Special meetings may be called by the Chairman, with a ‘Notice of special meetings’ communicated to all members, at least seventy-two hours by the Secretary, in advance of the meeting.
[37] To Conduct business at any meeting, two-third of the entire voting membership, must be present to form a quorum.
ARTICLE [VI.] COMMITTEES
SECTION A.
[38] The organization shall have four standing member committees, therein;
i. Program-Event Committee
ii. Membership Admission Committee
iii. Election Committee
iv. Disciplinary Committee
i. Program-Event Committee (PEC)
The major purpose of ‘PEC’, is to plan and organize events for the organization to promote its agenda and fundraising.
ii. Membership Admission Committee (MAC)
The major responsibility of ‘MAC’, is to admit credible members in line with the organization’s vision and mission. As well supervise their inauguration under ‘PEC’ towards membership full adoption at ‘GAS’.
iii. Election Committee (EC)
This committee shall be responsible, for all nomination procedures and voting events of GAS.
iv. Disciplinary Committee (DC)
This committee shall be responsible for membership misconducts and breaches, of the constitutional rules of the organization, and recommend appropriate punishment for membership, as assigned in voting.
[39] Any other Committee to be constituted, by the Chairman, beyond ‘Article V’ Committees, for special purpose duty-vehicle, within the organization, will be considered as, an ad hoc committee under this constitution.
ARTICLE [VII.] AFFILIATIONS
SECTION A.
[40] This organization recognizes, and understands that it holds its legal liability for actions, though an affiliate of Ghana Consulate in Sierra Leone, thus, provides no blanket indemnification insurance coverage, for any activities of the organization.
[41] The Ghana Association in Sierra Leone is an umbrella body, with its constituent in Bo-city as the South-East Regional Chapter.
ARTICLE [VIII.] BY-LAWS AND AMENDMENTS
SECTION A.
[42] By-laws can be added to this Constitution, by a simple majority vote of the entire membership at regular meetings of GAS.
[43] This Constitution takes precedence over any by-laws.
[44] The Constitution of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and National regulatory laws take precedence over this constitution, and any added by-laws.
SECTION B.
[45] This Constitution shall be amended by a two-thirds votes, of the entire membership at regular meetings of GAS.
[46] Notification of such a motion, shall be undertaken by the ad hoc committee of the Constitutional review; and must be made known to members, at least thirty working days in advance, before the actual votes are taken.
[47] All amendments of this Constitution, where need be, will be conducted under a constitutional review ad hoc committee, in compliance with the regulatory procedures thereof.
ARTICLE [IX.] FINANCIAL MATTERS
[SECTION A]
[48] All financial transactions of the organization, shall be conducted under a commercial license Bank account in Sierra Leone. With those transactions lacking formal validations, and unconfided in financial circle, is required to be backed with legitimate receipts for records, as the circumstance could permit.
[49] The treasurer, serving as an accountant of the organization, shall give quarterly account reports to the Membership, in general meetings.
[50] The entire account transaction of the association, will be subjected to an external audit, annually, and reported to the membership, by the secretary at Annual General Meetings (AGM).
GAS CONSTITUTION © December 2023
Sponsored and Authored By:
† Emmanuel Tweneboah Senzu, DBA, PhD. SJD.
Professor of Constitutional Law and Economic Criminology, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA. Cross-Departmental fellow, University of Ghana and Central University Faculty of Law. Former fellow to the Law School, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. Executive Director, Blackstone Africa-Asia Jurists Center.
Comments