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Corporate Governance Law and Rules Relating to Proceedings of Directors Board Meetings



The first meeting of the Board of directors is to be held not later than 6 months after incorporation of the company: section 263(1) of the CAMA.

Agenda of the First Board Meeting

The agenda of the first Board meeting should usually contain the following:

a.        Appointment of the Chairman from amongst the directors
b.        Appointment of auditor
c.        Appointment of secretary
d.        Appointment of the managing director
e.        Appointment of the solicitor of the company
f.        Adoption of the common seal of the company
g.        Appointment of Bankers - CASMSCB

By section 266(1) of the CAMA, every director shall be entitled to receive notice of the directors' meetings, unless he is disqualified by any reason under the Act from continuing with the office of director. The length of Notice of Board meetings is 14 days notice in writing unless otherwise provided in the articles: section 266(2) of the CAMA.

Section 263(2) states that the mode of voting is by majority of votes and in a case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall have a second casting of vote. Section 263(3) mandates that a director may, and the secretary on the requisition of a director shall, at any time summon a meeting of the directors.

Under section 263(8), a resolution in writing, signed by all the directors for the time being entitled to receive notice of a meeting of the directors, shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the directors duly convened and held. Section 263(9) provides that in all the directors' meetings, each director shall be entitled to one vote. This is very important because of the implication that directors in their Board meeting cannot vote by poll (that is to say based on their number of shares). Additionally, section 64(1)(a) allows the board to set up committees and the committee will have a Chairman.

Quorum of Board Meetings

By section 264(1) of the CAMA, the quorum of Board meetings is two (2) if the directors are not more than 6 or 1/3 or 1/3 to the nearest number if they are more than 6 directors of the company: section 264 of the CAMA (unless otherwise provided by the companies articles). Under section 264(2) thereof, where a committee of directors is appointed by the board of directors, the board shall fix its quorum, but where no quorum is fixed, the whole committee shall meet and act by a majority.

However, where the board is unable to act because a quorum cannot be formed, the general meeting may act in place of the board and where a committee is unable to act because a quorum cannot be formed, the board may act in place of the committee: section 265 of the CAMA. That the general meeting has the power to act in place of the board of directors is fortified by section 63(5)(a) of the CAMA which states that notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3) of section 63, the members in general meeting may act in any matter if the members of the board of directors are disqualified or are unable to act because of a deadlock on the board or otherwise.

©Onyekachi Duru Esq and www.legalemperors.com, 2016. (All Rights Reserved) Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Onyekachi Duru Esq and www.legalemperors.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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