Rainbow of Colours Envelops Inde Dikko House

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

After more than five years of dull, fading ambience and melancholic visage, the National Secretariat of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Friday evening experienced a blast of liveliness that dissolved in a rainbow of ecstasy, encapsulating the joyous mood of members who gathered to celebrate the victory of the Group of 9-like-minds into the board of trustees (BoT) at the BoT  election held the day before, Thursday, September 12, 2024 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.

Coming from different academic, religious and socio-cultural backgrounds, the celebrants who comprised of the just elected board members, their families, supporters and admirers waltzed into each other’s embrace; beaming with unrestrained happiness.

Prior the formal commencement of the ‘Happy Hour’ as jokingly captured by one of the winners, Chief Ernest Elochukwu, various songs of thanksgiving bursting forth from different canopies apparently equaled the state of their hearts in radiant colours and hues, as brightly portrayed by their different colourful attires, overshadowing the hitherto grayness that has long enveloped the place.

While the President of ANLCA, Emenike Nowkeoji and some members of the National Executive Committee (NECOM) were fully on ground for the merry making, members of the G-9 present includes Taiwo Mustpha, Ernest Elochukwu, Dayo Azeez, Tunde Awonuga and Dennis Okafor.

They not only dined and wine, they variously re-echoed their campaign slogans while expressing their joy at the fact that peace, stability and progress has returned to the association with the election of the G-9. It was a re-hatch of the golden, good old days, when Inde Dikko House used to be a regular hangout for members unwinding at the weekends, without fear of molestations or attacks.

It is on record that while the nine lucky winners polled the following votes in the order of highest score includes:

Taiwo Mustapha – 334; Ernest Elochukwu –323; Kingsley Offor –310; Dennis Okafor –302; Sunday Momoh–294; Dayo Azeez –291; Sanni Utai –275; Tunde Awonuga –270; and Ademola Mumuney –239.

Those defeated include Ozor Chukwura, Kayode Farinto  and Eniola lgbarola with 217, 204 and 136 votes, respectively.

Two of the contestants, namely Alhaji Abdulazeez Mukaila and  one other were disqualified by the Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) for alleged moral issues which the electoral umpire explained makes their participation in the election, inappropriate.

The election which was keenly contested was held across the three geopolitical zones, East, North and West simultaneously, even as the western zone expectedly sttod out as  the major decider, attracting the full complement of the contestants except for Alhaji Demola Mummuny and Chief Sunday Momoh, who were believed to have traveled out of the country before the exercise.

Addressing participants during the AGM that preceded the election, the National President, Emenike Nowkeoji urged voters to vote according to their conscience but appealed that the voting should reflect the national outlook required to give the board the respect and balance it deserves.

He reminded members and voters of the need to vote to sustain and consolidate the growing peace in the association and not to rely entirely on sentiments that could again bring the association on its knee through the resurgence of crisis by merchants of chaos.

“The event of today is meant to once again inform the general public, and particularly stakeholders, that ANLCA is fully back in the comity of associations in the maritime industry, to take its rightful position as the numero uno customs brokerage/freight forwarding association in Nigeria especially and, internationally in general.

“I have been National Vice President for two tenures before (2010 – 2018). I had contested and lost elections in 2018 to be the National President. But, in truth, I never hesitated in congratulating the declared winner.

“Importantly, 5 years, after our misunderstanding in ANLCA, it is time to come together to chart a new course of relevance for our association, for the benefit of our long-suffering members, for our nation Nigerian, and for humanity’s sake.

“It is in the light of this that I, and other members of my executive, seek the support of you – our mutual and common stakeholders, in the pursuit of a mutually beneficial collaboration and partnership, in this arduous but not impossible task of leading ANLCA back to national and International reckoning.

“We will hereafter reach out to all the stakeholders to synergize on issues bordering on the advancement of the maritime and aviation industry, and in fact on national policy issues as they affect our subsector, in order to present a formidable, common front.

“To ANLCA members, I must thank all of you for your resilience, perseverance, understanding and patience, during the crisis, so much so that you never fell for the cajoling of other associations to join them, by departing ANLCA for theirs.”

He also expressed his gratitude to ANLCA women for staying the course even at the most trying moments, even as he recalled the atmosphere during the election of the NECOM about the same period, the year before, while he enumerated his leadership achievements within a year in office.

“To the Women in ANLCA (the ANLCA angels), you deserve my special accolade at the appropriate time. Your steadfast love, commitment, dedication, and sacrifice will not go unrewarded by the grace of the God we serve. The entire NECOM is eternally grateful and proud of you.

“The NECOM election at Federal Palace Hotel was lost by both contending parties but, won by all ANLCA members. Building on our Restoration mantra, we have done so much within so short a period in stabilizing the ship of our great association. Peace and unity are more paramount than ever before.

“After the years of doldrums, we should avoid divisions and work in harmony to collectively protect our common heritage before others, particularly foreigners will shove us behind. Once again let’s close ranks with sister associations and collectively rescue our profession from outsiders masquerading as clearing agents or customs brokers before it’s too late.” he said

He continues: “We know that there is no way sentiments can be removed from election, but let us remember that ANLCA as a national body requires balance in the leadership structure.

“The other day during a visit to Abuja, somebody was asking if ANLCA is Igbo and Yoruba association, so we should remember that every section of Nigeria is represented here, the middle belt, the north should have a place in our heart as we prepare to vote. Together we can achieve more”, he admonished.

The ASECO Chairman, Elochukwu Obiora while addressing the issue of purported forgery of ASECO report regarding the disqualification of the two aforementioned contestants by the Secretary,  Oluwatope Fatimehin, urged those making the charge to do a memo to the effect and submit to ASECO’s office for investigation.

He thereafter reeled out the guidelines for the conduct of the election, and wished the contestants the best of luck. The voting which began at about 4pm however, experienced some initial disruption as members of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) chapter, led by the suspended chapter chairman, Prince Bamgbala Adewusi, openly made barefaced efforts to scuttle the exercise.

The atmosphere was also challenged during a shout-out between the president on one side, and one of the contestants, Ozor Chukwura and the NPS, Emmanuel Onyema, who were believed to have used the occasion to settle perceived scores on alleged unsupportive attitude of Nwokeoji to Onyema, purportedly because of the latter’s tribal affinity with Ozor.

Overall, Onyema took full charge of the event as the master of ceremony (MC), effectively and pointedly ensuring that order and discipline was maintained whilst the AGM and voting lasted.

The leadership of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Customs Zonal Headquarters, the Federal Operations Unit, the DSS, Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone B and other units were all represented and stayed throughout the event which lasted until about 8pm.

Earlier in the day, palpable tension enveloped the venue of the AGM/Election when words filtered in that one of the perceived strong candidates for the board election, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila had been disqualified and had reportedly gone to invite the Nigerian Police to stop the exercise.

However, Pinnacle Time has it on good authority that the Vice President, Prince Segun Oduntan and respected ANLCA Patron, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi and others reportedly rose to the occasion, subsequently restoring calm and normalcy.

Speaking on the development, the ANLCA immediate past National Secretary and Sole Administrator said he decided to let go his ambition based on personal leadership sacrifice, noting that he cannot forgive himself if he engages in destroying the peace he has labored to build over the years.

Mukaila explained that he also recognized the intervention of the National President, Emenike Nwokeoji, and resolved to maintain the peace by giving up his BoT membership ambition.

“I have every right to stop this election from holding because I have been disenfranchised. However, I cannot because of my ambition destroy the peace that l have helped build in ANLCA for the past several months. I have told my supporters to go ahead and cast their votes.”

There is no doubt that his abiding faith in ANLCA and respect for mutual affinity within the leadership arena provided the needed stability for the AGM and BoT election; making him the cynosure of positive attraction.

His words rings out as genuine leader and one that still have so much to contribute, unlike others whose stock in trade appears no less than to set the house on fire if they don’t get what they want.

“Election is like a game of sports, its either you win or you lose, it is not a do or die affair, my National President has appealed to me and I have decided to let things slide, this is not time to start going to court and dragging the association backwards”, he declared.