The All Africa Students Union (AASU) has disowned a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Party, Olabode George, saying it has no plan to confer any award on him.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES from AASU headquarters in Accra, Ghana, the Secretary General of the organization, Fred Awah, said reports of the award on Mr. George, an ex-convict, who recently served jail terms for corruption, was “absolutely untrue, misleading and fraudulent.”

“It is clear there are elements dragging the name of our organization in the mud,” Mr. Awah said. “The Kwame Nkrumah African Leadership Award is a prestigious one and there are criteria for awarding it. At no time did we consider him (Bode George) for any award.”

Mr. Awah, who sounded livid on the telephone, said he was already planning to travel to Nigeria to meet with officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, with a view to identifying “the fraudulent elements” using AASU’s name to offer dubious awards to individuals for percuniary gains.

“What they have done is criminal,” he said. “We must expose and disgrace them so that others will learn.”

There have been reports in the media (not PREMIUM TIMES) that AASU, on the recommendation of NANS, had nominated the PDP chieftain as winner of its 15th edition of the Africa Leadership Award.

A certain Olufemi Lawson, described as the Nigerian representative at AASU and Project Co-ordinator of the award, reportedly announced Mr. Bode’s selection, saying the award would be conferred on him on December 12 at an elaborate ceremony that would feature “a distinguished leadership lecture”.

He was quoted as saying Mr. George was selected from among the many nominees for the 2012 award based on his commitment to youth development and his defence of democratic institutions.

AASU is a regional students organisation, headquartered in Accra, Ghana with over 54 African countries as members.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES Friday, Mr. Lawson insisted there was no going back on the conferment of the award on Mr. George. He said the award ceremony would hold in Lagos as planned.

Mr. Lawson said the President of AASU, Mohammed Bashir, a Sudanese, is aware of the arrangement, and that the organisation’s secretary general, Mr. Awah, was not in the loop because he had been busy with the Ghanaian elections.

Mr. Lawson said in selecting Mr. George for the award, he and his group “looked beyond the politics of Nigeria” and were impressed by his effort in youth development and education.

“This is a man who has awarded over 1000 scholarships and grants to indigent students,” Mr. Lawson said. “He deserves to be honoured.”

But shortly after Mr. Lawson spoke to us, we called Secretary General Amah again who insisted “there is no such award for Bode George from AASU.”

“Lawson  is not an official of AASU,” Mr. Amah said. “He contested for the position of deputy secretary general and lost. He was defeated by a Liberian. Since then, he has been pursuing a fraudulent scheme, using the name of the organization to hand out dubious awards.”

A former President of AASU, Oludare Ogunlana, also explained that his investigation indicated the organization and its secretariat had no knowledge of the purported award.

He said there is no Nigerian on the executive of AASU at this time, meaning Mr. Lawson could not be speaking for the organization.

Many Nigerians have widely criticized the plan to honour Mr. George, who was imprisoned for mismanaging public funds.

The PDP chieftain could not be reached for comments Friday morning. He did not answer or return calls made to his telephone.

Past recipients of the AASU bi-annual Africa Leadership Award include former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Anan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai among others

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110190-exclusive-aasu-disowns-bode-george-says-no-plan-to-honour-him.html

I knew it, since the nigerian wing was speaking for the whole organisation, i knew something was amiss

funny how all these lil unscrupulous associations prop up to sell awards!

A good name is better than riches

@OP, thanks for this post.

I actually called AASU's secretariat yesterday, livid with rage, but was unable to get through on any of the phone numbers listed.
It just does not ring that the same Olufemi Lawson mentioned below is somehow culpable. But if the contrary proves to be true, let's hope he gets tossed out of the ear as soon as is practically possible.

Presenting the Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award at the Conference Room of the institution, the AASU General Secretary, Comrade Olufemi Lawson, said the likes of Dr Ladipo and other past recipients of the award were examples of the kind of leaders Africa needed to get to the Promised Land.

Source

most of these NANS, AASU are they still studying or this is their full time job?

4direct: tewonde is a great man.................

Great man inside your brain!

NANS, the organization that breeds future rogues and terrorists

bizgynbala:
But shortly after Mr. Lawson spoke to us, we called Secretary General Amah again who insisted “there is no such award for Bode George from AASU.”

[size=18pt]“Lawson  is not an official of AASU,” Mr. Amah said. “He contested for the position of deputy secretary general and lost. He was defeated by a Liberian. Since then, he has been pursuing a fraudulent scheme, using the name of the organization to hand out dubious awards.[/size]”

A former President of AASU, Oludare Ogunlana, also explained that his investigation indicated the organization and its secretariat had no knowledge of the purported award.

He said there is no Nigerian on the executive of AASU at this time, meaning Mr. Lawson could not be speaking for the organization.


http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110190-exclusive-aasu-disowns-bode-george-says-no-plan-to-honour-him.html

This femi lawson has no shame at all. You are not even on the board of ASUU but you are giving awards? You were rejected as an aspirant, but you represent the association as a self appointed president of Nigeria. What a thief and a fraud who has been exposed. He is still fighting. The guy is finished, someone get a picture so people can put a picture to the thief. haba! What a disgrace. NANS should be disbanded after this scandal and should not be taken seriously.

bizgynbala: The All Africa Students Union (AASU) has disowned a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Party, Olabode George, saying it has no plan to confer any award on him.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES from AASU headquarters in Accra, Ghana, the Secretary General of the organization, Fred Awah, said reports of the award on Mr. George, an ex-convict, who recently served jail terms for corruption, was “absolutely untrue, misleading and fraudulent.”

“It is clear there are elements dragging the name of our organization in the mud,” Mr. Awah said. “The Kwame Nkrumah African Leadership Award is a prestigious one and there are criteria for awarding it. At no time did we consider him (Bode George) for any award.”

Mr. Awah, who sounded livid on the telephone, said he was already planning to travel to Nigeria to meet with officials of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, with a view to identifying “the fraudulent elements” using AASU’s name to offer dubious awards to individuals for percuniary gains.

“What they have done is criminal,” he said. “We must expose and disgrace them so that others will learn.”

There have been reports in the media (not PREMIUM TIMES) that AASU, on the recommendation of NANS, had nominated the PDP chieftain as winner of its 15th edition of the Africa Leadership Award.

A certain Olufemi Lawson, described as the Nigerian representative at AASU and Project Co-ordinator of the award, reportedly announced Mr. Bode’s selection, saying the award would be conferred on him on December 12 at an elaborate ceremony that would feature “a distinguished leadership lecture”.

He was quoted as saying Mr. George was selected from among the many nominees for the 2012 award based on his commitment to youth development and his defence of democratic institutions.

AASU is a regional students organisation, headquartered in Accra, Ghana with over 54 African countries as members.

When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES Friday, Mr. Lawson insisted there was no going back on the conferment of the award on Mr. George. He said the award ceremony would hold in Lagos as planned.

Mr. Lawson said the President of AASU, Mohammed Bashir, a Sudanese, is aware of the arrangement, and that the organisation’s secretary general, Mr. Awah, was not in the loop because he had been busy with the Ghanaian elections.

Mr. Lawson said in selecting Mr. George for the award, he and his group “looked beyond the politics of Nigeria” and were impressed by his effort in youth development and education.

“This is a man who has awarded over 1000 scholarships and grants to indigent students,” Mr. Lawson said. “He deserves to be honoured.”

But shortly after Mr. Lawson spoke to us, we called Secretary General Amah again who insisted “there is no such award for Bode George from AASU.”

“Lawson  is not an official of AASU,” Mr. Amah said. “He contested for the position of deputy secretary general and lost. He was defeated by a Liberian. Since then, he has been pursuing a fraudulent scheme, using the name of the organization to hand out dubious awards.”

A former President of AASU, Oludare Ogunlana, also explained that his investigation indicated the organization and its secretariat had no knowledge of the purported award.

He said there is no Nigerian on the executive of AASU at this time, meaning Mr. Lawson could not be speaking for the organization.

Many Nigerians have widely criticized the plan to honour Mr. George, who was imprisoned for mismanaging public funds.

The PDP chieftain could not be reached for comments Friday morning. He did not answer or return calls made to his telephone.

Past recipients of the AASU bi-annual Africa Leadership Award include former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Kofi Anan, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Afe Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai among others

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/110190-exclusive-aasu-disowns-bode-george-says-no-plan-to-honour-him.html

That is the attitude of nigerian students.They give awards to those people who are running around with our common wealth.Why would somebody will single handedly given out an award where he/she is even an executive member? This is just the of extorting money from these politicians.

Criminal recommending another greater criminal for awards, all na criminals. Everybody associated with the award including Femi Lawson and Bode Tewonde George should be sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with the hardest of Labour without any option of fine.

*Heaves a sigh of relief*
I've been wondering what st.upid body would glorify a proven criminal.

Medicine after death or swallow poison by force?

make I laugh b4 reading. What a cracker lol

Only a thief will honor another thief!

Its only a shame that our president is the only one embracing this thief as his right hand man. What a pity!

It one of the many ways to dry clean the old man`s image. Femi Lawson was paid to do the job unfortunately the real owners of AASU dont want their name to be used.

Its so simple, Mr Femi Lawless-son wants 2make som gud cash by presentin a flaterin award in d name of a reputabl body, Mr Tewonde George is pantin 2 redeem a lost goodwill. Person wey won kill don meet person wey won die, CASE DISMISSED!

Dis Guy: most of these NANS, AASU are they still studying or this is their full time job?

i wonder o...

Really impressed by peoples reaction to this award.

What more can i say?! Mr Bode George should be dancing azonto by now that it is an Award that he is denied of and not a Reward.

Nija with scam!!! This Lawson should be disgrace

okay

4direct: tewonde is a great man.................

I dey laugh

THIEVES HONORING THIEVES

mdyo99: That is the attitude of nigerian students.They give awards to those people who are running around with our common wealth.Why would somebody will single handedly given out an award where he/she is even an executive member? This is just the of extorting money from these politicians.

I like ur response but u dnt ve to quote d topic. We all are speaking under d same topic smh

I wonder if those planning 2 confer him the award are Nigerian. A man that could not handle his office effectively and embezzled d country's money. Well who knows if he had bribed them

Thumbs up to nairalanders for castigating AASU about honouring bode george in the first instance.Truely our voice has been heard!