‘Vote of Confidence On Adewusi of No Consequence’ NECOM

BY GBOGBOA GBOWA
The national leadership of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has described the reported Vote of Confidence passed on the suspended and former Chairman of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) chapter, Prince Bamgbala Adewusi as immaterial and unproductive in the face of the suspension handed down to him, while also stating emphatically that the decision of National Executive Committee (NECOM) is final and not open for discussion at chapter levels by members with the aim of expressing opinions calculated to circumvent or reverse same.
The NECOM remind members that as an executive leadership organ, authority flows from top-to-bottom, while responsibility at the chapter is designed to flow from bottom-up; as the chapters and their leadership structure are expected to be identify with and submit to the decision making powers of the NECOM; which is superior and hence supersedes every other decision, in all material circumstances.
According to aides of the National President, above clarification became necessary to rest the issue of the claim of the vote of confidence reportedly passed on Adewusi and as published in an online newspaper, yesterday.
According to the newspaper, members of the airport chapter who reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the action of NECOM not only passed a vote of confidence of the embattled chapter chairman, but reportedly asked NECOM to reverse the suspension, noting that Adewusi is doing well in office.
The NECOM reaction very necessary following observation of strong and disrespectful languages deployed by those quoted to have asked the NECOM to mind its business and leave MMIA alone.
Statements credited to some members of the chapter those defending Adewusi reads: “What we are seeing today is very unfortunate, government is a continuum, you are not supposed to destroy everything your predecessor did. The National President of ANLCA today is dissolving an existing chapter where their tenure is yet to expire and he is constituting a sole administrator, is that in ANLCA Constitution?

“Meanwhile, these are the people that you used for your own election, they actually voted for you, at that time, you never saw anything wrong with them, you used chapters that had two chairmen, two treasurers, two financial secretaries to vote you into office, these are compromises that everyone swallowed, taking a cue from the arrangement of the CCC.
“This executives are doing their job and we are not tired of them, if we were tired, you would have been seeing crisis and issues being raised. The BOT did their kangaroo elections in 2018 and pronounced Tope Akindele as Chairman, now you are coming with the second swearing in of Tope for the same seat. Since this second swearing in of Tope as Chairman of Aiport chapter, how many issues have you heard from here that is contrary to peace? Nothing.
“Rather, the Chairman have been calming everybody down, knowing the volatility of the airport. There is no crises here, but the NECOM are the ones fermenting crisis for us all over again and we are tired. I don’t think the NECOM has done the best, as a father that has many children, you should know how to manage them. But in this situation, the NECOM calling themselves a father, are the ones creating problems.
“If you go round now and look at the faces of our members at the Airport, they are tired of the NECOM because they are just creating unnecessary problems for us at this command. We did our elections, we elected our executives and everything is moving on fine, no issues, no hassles, but immediately this new NECOM came in, there has been no peace.
“Since we have been here, the NECOM have never visited here to ask what are the challenges we are facing, I don’t know the kind of father they call themselves.”
Addressing the reported discontent, insinuations and opinions of the ‘members’ of the airport chapter , Special Assistant to the President on Media, Alhaji Ayokunle dismissed the reported vote of confidence as laughable, even as he reminded Adewusi of the marxim which says that ‘pride goes before a fall’; and advised him to the thread the path of honour by quietly taking a walk.
“Let me be frank with you, beyond the issue of the vote of confidence or no vote of confidence, the genesis of the crisis at the MMIA started with the past NECOM. When the election that ushered Adewusi in was to be conducted, the court ruled that the election should not hold because the office to be contested had already been won in a prior election and therefore was not vacant. Any ANLCA member will verify what l am telling you now, the court said no election should hold because it would amount to exercise in futility and an attempt to build something on nothing.
“That is number one, number two, ANLCA is different from WAEC that allows candidates to combine two certificate scores to gain admission into higher institutions. Adewusi combined and submitted two licenses to the Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) which was not and still not a norm in ANLCA; it is not allowed. But the then NECOM who wanted him at all cost turned blind eyes and refused to obey the court order.
“But to shame them all, Ashiru went to court and got a ruling nullifying Adewusi’s victory at that election on the ground that Adewusi didn’t possess the complete requirements to contest the election. When Fanu of Seme Chapter went to court, the court also invalidated Adewusi’s victory but the Iju administration despite that Adewusi was found wanting in all the judicial decisions and electoral qualification, swore him in.”
Speaking further on the matter, the SA Media continued: “You will remember that following Fanu’s case against the NECOM and Adewusi, the court again said that if NECOM had respected its ruling there wouldn’t have been election much less fight over who is the right chairman of MMIA; and went ahead to declare the process null and void.”
Ayokunle also questioned the merit of the vote of confidence reportedly passed on Adewusi, noting however that even it was real it is of no consequence as it cannot attempt to overturn the suspension order, which he says flowed from the proper channel imbued with the authority to do so.
This is even as he remarked that Adewusi got what he deserved having failed to avail himself of the opportunity to defend himself.
“On the issue of the vote of confidence by those at the airport chapter, honestly, it is laughable. ANLCA operates with a Supreme Constitution 2013 as agreed, authority in ANLCA is top-bottom while responsibility is bottom-up. Adewusi was invited many times when this crisis was brewing but he was buying time with different letters to the national secretariat, talking about court cases, going to court to file different types of suites. And there is a limitation to how far such things can go on. But what he is doing now is like holding onto the last straw that will break the camel’s back.
“When you take up the president of ANLCA, you’re not fighting the president… you’re fighting ANLCA and the whole leadership structure. The president’s position is executive in nature as enshrined in ANLCA’s Supreme Constitution. As SA Media to the President, there is nothing that goes on in NECOM that l am not aware of, so l know that Adewusi’s case is been decided by the NECOM, and it makes me sad when l hear him and his colleagues keep accusing the President.”
He also expressed doubt about the identity of those said to have passed the vote of confidence.
“Everything pertaining to Adewusi and MMIA is a matter for the national leadership, not the president. The names of those involved in the kangaroo vote of confidence should be compiled together with their registration and financial status as members of ANLCA and made available. That will enable the national secretariat to confirm their authentic membership status in order to determine the worth of the vote of confidence said to have been given to Adewusi.
“Before the NECOM meeting in which the decision to suspend Adewusi was taken, elders of the airport chapter had gathered together and asked him to step down but he rebuffed them. You can quote me”, Ayokunle said.
Also reacting, former National Publicity Secretary (NPS) and the SA Special Duty to Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, Mr. Joe Sanni consigned the vote of confidence to the dust bin as a tissue or worthless matter, saying it is a propaganda erected to give Adewusi some respite.
Sanni said Adewusi has destroyed his reputation and can no longer be taken serious in the affairs of the association like few others before him, even as he faulted the vote of confidence as a ruse.
He said, “I have reached out widely to members of the airport chapter and they told me they are not aware of any meeting in which Adewusi’s suspension was tabled and a vote of confidence sought and passed. So l can tell you free of charge that the matter of vote of confidence was a contraption and propaganda since there was no formal meeting anywhere.
“So far, if you look at the trend of defence, it is quite predictable, why didn’t Adewusi who have been given administrative and judicial supporting documents to journalists to push his case in the media not give provide pictures taken during the meeting where the vote of confidence was passed to be published; are you following me?
“If there was a meeting then there would have been members in attendance known to ANLCA, that would enable the association and the industry to verify the claim of the vote of confidence passed. Who moved the motion and who seconded; and where is the minute of the meeting? These are the only evidence to show that a meeting was held where a vote of confidence was passed, as it is, none of it happened, it’s all propaganda.”
He continued: “Besides, you can’t even put something on nothing, the election that brought that guy was disallowed by the court because the court commanded NECOM…l am talking about the Tony Iju led NECOM, not to hold the election that produced Adewusi. The court was specific, it ruled that since the office to be contested has someone (Tope) already voted in and is logically the office holder or occupier, the office is not vacant.
“But you know about the arrogance of the time , the then NECOM ignored the court and went ahead with the election and proceeded to put Adewusi in the office; so by all account and evidences, Adewusi is a product of illegality. Quote me, l’m not mincing words.
“Remember also that Ashiru Balogun who he contested against said Adewusi was not qualified to contest the election on the ground that he (Adewusi) presented two different licenses which was against the electoral guidelines. Ashiru went to court and secured ruling that also disallowed Adewusi based on qualification. So what Adewusi is doing is simply to see if he can cling on to something as a means of survival, but the more he fights the more he is exposing his weaknesses and lack of tact”, he said.