‘Board Membership Entails Sacrifice, Father-figure Disposition’ – Elochukwu

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

 A former National President of the Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and member of the immediate past  Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief (Sir) Ernest Elochukwu has said that members of the association who expressed interest in contesting the BoT membership should engage in soul searching, lamenting that he has reasons to believe that for some contestants, service is of secondary consideration.

A man known for always speaking his convictions and mind, the Port Harcourt based customs broker and business tycoon hinted that the real attraction for some contestants is one of a narrow, petty and self serving nature; and worrying, said a vote for people like that will only cause ANLCA another setback, sooner or later; noting that the association cannot afford any such disaster, at a time the current national executive have taken ANLCA’s restoration and rebuilding very far; with manifest results.

Highly respected, cerebral, influential and well connected, Chief Elochukwu is one of the few elders whose personal sacrifices, support, contributions and perseverance have kept ANLCA going during the infamous crisis that erupted in the face of internal, subversive scheming by some elements to undermine the wellbeing of the association.

During the long drawn crisis, Chief Elochukwu and three others, namely Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Chief Dennis Okafor and Alhaji Dayo Azeez stayed the cause, as those who wished ANLCA to disintegrate, purportedly fought blindly and ruthlessly to sink the association.

In a chat with our reporter at the weekend, Chief Elochukwu who confirmed his participation in the upcoming BoT election said some of those angling to be board members do not have the character, moral wherewithal and required competences to be in the board.

He explained farther that whereas the desire of those desperate to get on the board appears driven in the main by blind ambition and a scheming to rock the boat of ANLCA’s leadership; either simply out of spite, or else, due to feelings of personal inadequacies.

He urged members and those that will be accredited voters, particularly, to strive to understand every contestant’s motives, which he says can be gleaned from the contestants’ antecedents; since it is not hard at all to determine those who meant well for the association and those who have merely used the association to feather their nest.

He said by far the most dangerous are those who without any forbearance, have demonstrated tendencies and willingness to kill ANLCA should their ambition to be at the leadership arena, fail.

This is even as he appealed to his fellow contestants to look inwards, and ensure that they are completely motivated to help to deepen the recovery, repositioning and rebranding of ANLCA, through mutual affinity for the reign of peace and harmony; which he says is decisive for the association’s progress, as he argued that peace and harmony is the only unifying ground for the BoT and the National Executive Committee (NECOM) to work as an entity.

“My view is that having a well composed board will help ANLCA in the move to reposition as a mouthpiece or the umbrella body of clearing agents or customs brokers in Nigeria. Coupled with that is the expectation that those who come into the board or who makes up the board will be those that understands the functions of a board of trustees, in an organization. And that function is about helping to articulate the policy direction of the administration in such a way that they will be offering guidance and also support to the national executive committee who are faced with the day to day running of the association.

“Of course, they also will serve as the last point of defense, should there be any cause for it, that is, in case there is any disagreement or issues that might crop up, even between ANLCA and other external bodies. Coming in will be like getting to the ultimate level of the association. So, those who are going to be there should really know what that role of being a member of the board implies”, he said.

Addressing the root cause of the last crisis between the BoT of which he was a member, and the immediate past NECOM,  Elochukwu lamented that whereas the NECOM for its own reason meddled in the internal affairs of the BoT, he appealed that going forward, the incoming BoT and the NECOM that is already in place should strive to respect each other’s boundary and to avoid unwarranted interferences; as he waxed philosophical like a sage over the past crisis.

“It is unfortunate that for some time there has been, for some reasons that are obvious, some kind of actions that appear to have put the board in a direct conflict with the national executive committee. It shouldn’t be so, but then this is also the case of operating a human system because the human system has its own imperfections and weaknesses that sometimes people try to put self above the organization.

“And that’s where the problems start coming. So our expectation now is that there wouldn’t be any kind of confrontation in as much as I also want to use this opportunity to explain that what happened in the past, that is, what led to the crisis of the association that lasted for five years was that, it wasn’t because the board was really interfering, but rather it was that the executive that interfered in the matter that concerned the board entirely; and that is the issue of board leadership.

“So, our hope now is that in the new dispensation that the NECOM will understand that its role is to run the administration of the association from day to day, and the board is to act as the father figure and to be on advisory capacity in terms of issues of policy and all that.

“And once everybody understands its role, l believe there won’t be any problem. So it would be nice that those who are coming into the board will be coming with a mindset to serve, and to make the association better. It will not do ANLCA any good if people clamoring to come into the board are doing so, maybe to serve as alternate government or alternate authority to the national executive.

“Members and those voting must seek to see through the hearts of every contestant to understand or perceive the actual intent of each, because if we vote into the board people with personal agenda, ANLCA will return to crisis, and will again loss its voice and position that this restoration administration have worked collectively to put in place; and that would be a very sad commentary.”

A man of means and immense outreach, Chief Elochukwu speaking from experience and the benefit of privileged intelligence, enjoined those with ulterior motives to have a rethink for the sake of ANLCA.

“There are external bodies scheming day and night to destabilize and displace ANLCA, it is proper that we in ANLCA should be conscious of this and to use everything at our disposal to guide against such.

“So my final advice is to appeal that whoever is coming in to contest is doing so out of his free will and not under any compulsion; and that the expression of interest is sincere, godly and service oriented.”

With an intimidating industry and association’s credential, Chief (Sir) Ernest Elochukwu is coming with a vast experience and a portfolio of leadership knowledge that will enrich the incoming board and help it achieve its programmes and agenda.

Sitting as the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of Nestello Gateways Group, Chief Elochukwu has been privileged to serve ANLCA in several capacities, impacting growth, development and recognition. Based in Port Harcourt, he has served in  the positions of Chapter Secretary, Vice Chairman, Chairman and Zonal Chairman, before becoming the Secretary of the National Reconciliation Committee (when the Association was in crisis around late ‘90s).

After an unsuccessful bid to be the National Vice President in 1999, he later won the most keenly contested and to wit, the most costly election held in Abuja to become the National President in 2004.

He was not only a member of ANLCA that spearheaded the creation of the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Act, he was key to the lobbying and public hearing sessions, offering himself, time, energy, brain, connections and money.

As National President, Elochukwu also facilitated a meeting of the national leadership with then President Olusegun Obasanjo, both at Aso Rock and at Ota Farm; while his visibility and leadership capacity was believed to have been an issue of utmost respect amongst agencies of government at the time, amongst which was the Nigeria Customs Service; which accorded ANLCA all the recognition and courtesies it deserved.

A member of the last board, he says he wants to return to the board to continue to provide the it the necessary support the association requires to completely stabilize; after the five years long crisis.

Finely read and uniquely blessed, Chief Elochukwu maintains a high level of integrity in the nation’s port industry, and is believed to have mentored quite a number of persons many of whom are well placed and doing exceedingly well in the clearing and forwarding industry.

A graduate of the University of Port Harcourt, he has attended various international conferences and taken various courses aimed at improving his knowledge in contemporary socio economic issues.

A team player and a committed and loyal member of ANLCA, Chief Elochukwu is contesting alongside soul mates and like minds, which includes Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Chief Dennis Okafor, Mr. Dayo Azeez, Mr. Kingsley Offor, Mr. Tunde Awonuga, Chief Sunday Momoh, Mr. Ademola Mummuney and Alhaji Mohammed Sani Utai.

Like his formidable team members, the Group of Nine represents vision, strength, commitment, like mindedness, passion and grace to provide ANLCA with the right board, which in unity with the national executives will in one accord, take ANLCA to where it was before the locust years; and propel the association to heights, hitherto unknown.