The Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN) has elected Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Sarari as its new national president for the second time.
Sarari and some other persons were elected unopposed during the association’s national delegates conference, which took place at the Ni’ima Hotel in Kano on Friday, January 28.
They are to steer the affairs of the association for the next three years as enshrined in its newly amended constitution.
Sarari, a medical doctor, was the immediate past president of MOPPAN who finished his first tenure in 2021.
Others elected with him included Habibu Barde who came from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as deputy national president for the North-central geopolitical zone; Ibrahim Amarawa (Borno) as deputy national president (North-east), Umar Maikuɗi Cashman (Kaduna) as deputy national president (North-west) and Salisu Mu’azu (Plateau) as secretary-general.
Others were Hajiya Fatima Ibrahim Lamaj (Kaduna) as financial secretary, Umar Mohammed Gombe (Kano) as deputy secretary-general, Al-Amin Ciroma (Kaduna) as publicity secretary, and Maijidda Abbas (Kaduna) as welfare secretary.
Also, Haladu Muhammad (Niger) emerged as planning secretary, Mustapha Nabraska (Kano) as deputy publicity secretary, Ibrahim l. Ibrahim (Nasarawa) as auditor 1 and Bello Achida (Sokoto) as auditor 2.
New Citizen learnt that the elections had been scheduled to hold in Lafia, Nasarawa State, before Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje asked MOPPAN to shift it to Kano, the epicentre of the Kannywood movie industry.
This much was revealed by the chairman of the association’s Board of Trustees, Alhaji Sani Mu’azu, who stated that it was Ganduje who told them not to go anywhere else.
The veteran actor, in a pre-election speech to the delegates, extolled the members of the association for their sense of unity and doggedness which he said helped to strengthen the MOPPAN across the years.
He recalled that the association was formed in order to advance professionalism in Hausa filmmaking and cater for the unique cultural and religious differences in the northern part of the country.
He noted that right from inception MOPPAN aimed to have a representation from each community in the country, and it is clear that this target is now being achieved.
He expressed joy over the fact that the association has grown across the years, saying it started with membership in only three states – Kano, Kaduna and Plateau – but now has branches in many states in the north.
The chairman expressed the hope that MOPPAN would become not only a national brand but also a global one.
He thanked the government of Kano State for hosting this year’s delegates conference.
“I would like to doff my hat to the governor for fulfilling his promise, as we are here in Kano presently,” he said.
In his own speech, the chairman of MOPPAN’s constitution amendment committee, Malam Khalid Musa, presented a report on the work of the committee in which he revealed the amendments being proposed.
Some of the major amendments were the changing of the tenure of elected officials from two to three years and increasing the number of board of trustees members from five to nine.
The amendments were adopted after a debate by the delegates.
Chairman of the electoral committee, Malam Ahmad Alkanawy, told the delegates that contestants for the various elective offices had reached a consensus amongst themselves whereby some withdraw their candidature, leaving the rest unopposed.
The delegates accepted and adopted the decision, thus clearing the candidates for a hitchless victory.
Governor Ganduje last night hosted the delegates to a sumptuous dinner at the Coronation Hall, located within the premises of the Government House.
