Dear Members,
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous New Year!
In this year, we look forward to serving you better with renewed energy and commitment. AFRINIC is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and we would like to invite you all to join us in marking this milestone. The longevity of 15 years demonstrates our resilience and commitment as a community, and it also provides encouragement to one and all to put in a renewed effort to work together to make AFRINIC better and stronger.
Few changes happened in Committees as the year started:
- Mr Seun Ojedeji is now the Board Liaison to the Governance Committee in place of Mr Serge Ilunga;
- Mr Daniel Nanghaka appointed as Board Appointee in place of Mrs Zeimm Auladin-Suhootoorah for a two-year term, from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2021;
- Mr Laurent Ntumba Kayemba has been elected to replace Mrs Isatou Jah for a three-year term from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2022;
- Mr Mike Silber replaces Mr Omo Oaiya on the NRO NC / ASO AC and the IANA RC till 2022
We would like to take this opportunity to appreciate the work of Serge, Zeimm, Isatou and Omo, and wish a successful tenure to the new members of the committees.
We are also pleased to announce the appointment of BDO & Co.as the new External Auditor to fill the casual vacancy as per section 15.3 (v) of the AFRINIC Constitution. BDO, in Mauritius, is a leading firm of Chartered Accountants. The company is a Member Firm of BDO International. BDO Mauritius has offices and affiliates across the continent.
As an update on the matter relating to the WHOIS database alleged fraudulent manipulation; the case was reported to the Central Criminal Investigation Division of the Mauritius Police Force on Tuesday 10 December 2019 for further investigation and action. In addition, given the serious nature of the allegations, a disciplinary hearing was held on 13 December 2019 after which Management decided to summarily dismiss Ernest Byaruhanga with immediate effect on grounds of very serious professional misconduct.
We are also working at restoring the WHOIS accuracy and reinforcing existing controls to eliminate potential internal or external threats to our operations. Since we expect a higher workload at times, the Member Services Team will be doing their level best to provide services to members tickets within the 48 hours as stipulated in the AFRINIC SLC.
Our next Strategic Plan 2021-2025 is in the pipeline and your contributions are welcome. A specific communication about the strategic plan as well as activities planned for this year will be issued within a few weeks.
Thank you and we look forward to your continued support and cooperation in 2020.
Warmly,
Eddy Kayihura,
AFRINIC CEO