ANLCA Eastern Stakeholders Tackle Organisers of Abuja NEC, Supports Annulment of NECOM

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

Stakeholders and members of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Eastern Zone Elders and Leaders together with the Eastern Oodua Forum have warned trouble makers and those desperate to remain in power vide crooked means to desist and embrace the path of honour, as they jointly issued a disclaimer on the recent National Executive Committee (NECOM) Meeting held in Abuja; noting that the NEC meeting lacks legitimacy which rendered whatever decisions that may have been taken ineffective.

In a press statement signed by High Chief Obi Chima on behalf of the two bodies, also disassociated the zone and majority of its members from the said Abuja NEC Meeting together with resolutions reached there from, and explained that the totality of the Abuja NEC Meeting is not binding on any member from the zone.

The two body in addition informed they whole heartily support the sack of the Iju Nwabunike/Kayode Farinto led NECOM by the Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha led Board of Trustees (BoT), including the appointment of Alhaji Mukaila Abdulazeez as Sole Administrator; even as they enjoined all well meaning members of ANLCA nationwide to rise up and resist those intent on destabilizing the association.

Chima noted that whereas the said Abuja NEC Meeting was without the knowledge and input of elders and former leaders of the zone, he further notes that the very reason of their non involvement clearly indicate that the Abuja NEC Meeting was the handwork of mischief makers, and should therefore be disregarded and ignored by law abiding members of the association.

The statement released on July 17, 2023 with the theme ANLCA EASTERN ZONE ELDERS & ODUA EASTERN FORUM DISOWN ABUJA NEC MEETING, SUPPORT MUSTAPHA LED BOT ANNULMENT OF NECOM reads: “For the records, Eastern Zone of ANLCA has in the past produced ANLCA President, BOT Chairmen, Vice President, National Officers, ASECO Chairmen, Zonal Chairmen, Zonal Secretaries and Elders that are still alive and active.

“With all sense of responsibility, it snacks of the greatest insult to imagine that the zone can therefore said to have taken critical decision at developments without the involvement of these stakeholders as listed above.

“The Eastern Zone ELDERS, former Leaders AND ODUA EASTERN FORUM have watched with utter dismay and horror the sheer amount of desperation so far exhibited by the former Chairman Board of Trustees (BOT), Chief Henry Njoku, the former Acting National President, Dr. Kayode Farinto and their co-travelers in total disregard to due process, and we are constrained to make the following statements after taking a critical look at recent developments in the association.

1. We the Eastern Zone Elders and ODUA EASTERN Forum wholly, officially and permanently disassociate ourselves from the purported emergency NEC meeting held on the 12th of July 2023 at Rockview Hotel, Abuja.
2. Eastern Zone is not in support of all of the said resolutions, and thus disassociates the Zone from such decisions.
3. We further declare that we support without an iota of reservation the decision of the Board of Trustees (BOT) led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha to dissolve the NECOM that has overstayed it’s tenure by over 15 months as well as the appointment of Alhaji Mukaila Abdulazeez as the Sole Administrator, pursuant to provisions of Section 8, Subsection 2 (b), Section 13, Subsection 4 (c) and Section 22, Subsection 2 (c) of the extant 2008 Supreme Constitution of ANLCA.”

The statement continues: “This disclaimer has become necessary to set the records straight and disabuse the minds of well meaning members and stakeholders, and to assure everyone that we have implicit confidence in the capacity of the Mustapha led BOT and the Sole Administrator, Alhaji Mukaila Abdulazeez to run the affairs of the association within the constitutionally stipulated time frame to produce a new direction and conduct election that will usher in a new NECOM.”