Rev John Philip secures P14m college
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday October 13, 2014 17:23
Since 2010 the board has been working on a plan to turn the bible training institute, a non profit organisation into a commercial university, a transformation process driven by the Reverend John Philip himself.
But last week, the BBTI board chaired by the Reverend Dr Johannes Kgwarapi were disturbed by two findings, the appearance of a 2013 document showing that the Reverend John Philip has the intention to be a shareholder at BBT Institute University, and new information showing that a trading name was long approved last year. They have been under the impression all along that all their names were rejected by the registrar of companies.
Of all the five board members, the principal is the only one who appears as the shareholder while the rest are listed as company secretaries in the documents the Board shared with The Monitor.
Treasurer Modireemang Kareng says he stumbled upon a document while seeking certain information from the organisation lawyers. The chairman of the BBTI the Reverend Dr Johannes Kgwarapi says the registrar of companies has since assured the board that the documents have not reached his office yet.
One of the BBTI board members Thebe Ramokhua, a lawyer of outstanding stature, who even advices parliament says he was surprised to learn that they have signed as just company secretaries, while they are supposed to be shareholders.
The chairman, treasurer and the legal adviser, all tell The Monitor that they also learnt only last week that the name application of their commercial entity was approved in 2013 although all along the principal has been telling them bad news. The BBTI Board members also shared with The Monitor a strange incident which saw the principal John Philip making moves that could only be interpreted as attempts to overthrow the board.
They said two lists of board nominations submitted by John Philip in an attempt to overthrow the board last month and replace them with new names.
The John Philip lists followed instructions by the registrar of societies to the effect that the BBTI membership be increased to 10 from its traditional five members to align it with the new requirements for a Society.
According to the BBTI’s legal advisor Ramokhua, John Philip reacted by seeking to replace the whole board with five new names, as well as suggesting five extra names. The board rejected this move.
The other list allegedly shows that John Philip had suggested that there should be board members (names mentioned) and executive committee members. But Ramokhua says the intent was suspiscious since executive members’ position are not provided for in the constitution. “We would be celebrating that we are executive members while in effect we had been over-thrown”.
Contacted, John Philip denied all allegations. He flatly denied any attempt to secure shares in the new company. “BBTI has no shares, no company name….we submitted names to our lawyers…No name has been approved, I will deny it”. John Philip also denies ever suggesting names to replace the current board. “ I have never tabled any names”.
He also denied any knowledge of a meeting where it was agreed that the Board members would nominate relatives onto the board.