Dear EC members, Dear Colleagues,
We, consider it the honor and privilege of our career to serve the WFNS and its Executive Committee as Administrative Council members. As stipulated in the Constitution and Bylaws it is our duty to execute on your vision in close coordination with all of you. The Constitution and Bylaws give clear guidance as to how the Administrative Council should function as a unified unit on behalf of the Federation. Decisions by the Administrative Counsel are governed by simple majority rule that must be proceeded by deliberation and consensus building.
Per our previous communication, Dr Najia El-Abbadi, current WFNS President, failed to nominate the Coordinator of Committees as President Elect (during her term 2021-2023) , as required in Bylaws. Also, she unilaterally created a list of Committees and Chairs, distributed from her private e-mail account without required discussion and approval of the vacant positions by the Administrative Council (AC). In essence, a dictatorial coup d’etat. We, the 7 members of the AC (supermajority) have asked her to apologize to us and all of you for creating the unnecessary chaos in the WFNS and convene to discuss this in collegial and democratic atmosphere under the umbrella of AC.
Unfortunately, to further complicate the situation, Dr El-Abbadi bizarrely keeps involving Ms Teresa Chen (terminated office staff currently in serious legal dispute with WFNS) in the EC email recipient list creating serious legal trouble to all of us.
Sadly, Dr El-Abbadi has already refused to attend two AC meetings- on 28th of January and on the 1st of February, 2024. Both meetings were requested by seven members of AC (at least 5 members are required to call the meeting). We would like to inform the EC that at these AC meetings we have confirmed Dr Bernard Bendok as a Chair of Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Dr Basant Misra as Chair of WFNS Foundation and Drs Tito Perilla and James Rutka as members of WFNS Foundation Board.
As President-Elect she failed to nominate the Coordinator of Committees appropriately and as this position was vacant (previous Coordinator is now First Vice president), a proposal for Coordinator of Committees activities came from President Elect (according to the Bylaws - Luis Borba) and the AC unanimously approved Dr Salman Sharif from Pakistan, previous Chair of Spine Committee and a revered WFNS leader and educator, to the position of Coordinator of Committees 2023-2025 and 2025-2027. Dr Sharif has graciously accepted the position.
We again, for the third time, invite Dr El-Abbadi to convene the AC and submit potential candidates coordinated with Dr Sharif and the AC and come to an appropriate resolution of the chaos she created and she perpetuates. This will avoid unnecessary further delay of the process of Committee nominations and confirmation.
The WFNS AC accepts the right of the President of Federation to appoint Parliamentarian and Ad Hoc Committees Chairs and the, AC prefers a climate of harmony and collaboration between the President and the AC in accordance with WFNS Bylaws and Constitution. In recent appointments by Dr El Abbadi, there are several candidates who have breached of proper professional conduct and ethical principles.
The WFNS AC has offered a period of seven days for which Dr El Abbadi and Dr Salman Sharif to find mutual agreement on nominees that would satisfy WFNS Bylaws, ethical, professional, and academic criteria including global representation and diversity.
We would also respectfully ask all our dear colleagues considering Committee positions, EC members, delegates and officers to refrain from any further unnecessary activities or e-mail communications, inflammatory language or insults until this matter is satisfactorily resolved.
In the meantime, please follow our WFNS website and only the official WFNS Office AC communications, which will, in due course time, provide legal and confirmed AC appointments.
Best regards,
February 1st, 2024
The WFNS AC 2023-2025
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