ANLCA BoT Sacks Sit-tight NECOM, Constitutes Interim Executive

After what appeared like an eternity, the registered Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Wednesday sent the embattled and controversial National Executive Committee (NEC) led by both Iju Tony Nwabunike and Dr. Kayode Farinto, substantive and acting respectively, packing, after exceeding it’s lawful tenure in office by about five months.

Following the sack of the expired NECOM earlier also sacked severally by various courts of competent jurisdiction, the Alhaji Taiwo Mystapha led BoT appointed an interim committee led by Mr. Pius Ujubonu to run the affairs of the association for the next six months, pending a fresh general election.

Heading the interim NECOM in acting capacity is Mr. Pius Ujubonu as National President with Jamiu Adeyinka, Vice President; Joe Sanni, National Secretary; Francis Ituah, National Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Usman, Treasurer and Waheed Gbadamosi, Financial Secretary.

At the zonal level is Sir John Oforbike, Leader Western Zone, Sanusi Waking, Leader Northern Zone; and Obi Chima Leader Eastern Zone.

The development followed the possession of the National Secretariat of ANLCA known as Inde Dikko House, located at Amuwo Odofin Lagos by the board.

According to the board, the Farinto led NECOM not only appropriated ownership of the national secretariat through acts of lawlessness, refusing members and the board access, but that the previous court sacked NECOM have turned the secretariat into their private vehicle park.

Chairman of the board, Mustapha also accused the sacked NECOM of willfully locking up the secretariat that belongs to members during office hours all in the bid to continue in office albeit illegally.

He urged industry stakeholders including government institutions to dessist  from according  the sacked national leaders including Farinto, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila and others official recognition, describing them as impostors.

Speaking on the developments,  Mustapha said: “One of the mandate I have as Chairman of the BOT today is to pronounce that the NECOM remains dissolved. Their tenure by virtue of the democratic process has since ended, whatever constitution amendment they purportedly carried out in Owerri remains null and void.

“In line with section 13C of the Supreme constitution of ANLCA, we pronounce that there would be an interim government that would run the association. The Boat is empowered to run the association for six months, but we are transferring that power to the interim executives for a period of either 3-months or 6-months,” he said.

He accused the Iju Nwabunike’s camp of wishfully frustrating all peaceful initiatives to resolve all forms of misunderstandings that has thrown the association into crisis in the past four years, just so to sit tight and serve it’s personal interests.

“The climax of the whole crisis was when the Secretariat was sealed for five weeks. I remember we all met from both sides at the AIG of Police Onikan, asking both sides to settle. We thought we were getting together but we didn’t, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos intervened, and we agreed for a give and take situation.

“We agreed that whatever they have done on their side, we shall overlook, and vice versa, the major thing is for us to work together and move forward, but they reneged on their own side.”

The BoT Chairman charged the Pius Ujubonu led Interim executives to be law abiding and to work for the interest of all members.

Also speaking at the meeting, Board Secretary, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi explained that ANLCA registered board is custodians of all associations properties, liabilities and assets.

According to him, there is no other registered board of ANLCA other than the one headed by Taiwo Mustapha, hence they are saddled with responsibility of appointing acting National executives to run the association.

He noted that efforts would be made to ensure that the immediate administration account for allmonies so far collected under the name of ANLCA even as he assured that ANLCA is one big happy family.

“We are not sending anybody away from the association, the law of the association states that in case of any division or crisis, the board should take over. We were locked out of the association, we are being threatened, they were sending all manners of messages to us not to come to the Secretariat.

He commended the BoT Chairman Mustapha for being a man of peace, who he said refused to dance naked with the sacked NECOM, the way they would have loved to.

“This crisis lasted this long because our BoT Chairman is a man of peace and honour. He believe in achieving the right thing through lawful process, each time lju, Farinto and the others preferred to dance shamefully in public, our Chairman says we must not do likewise.”

Also speaking, former President of ANLCA and current Board Member, Chief Earnest Elochukwu said that

ANLCA Supreme constitution 2008 is the only constitution that is effective, and urged well meaning Nigerians and institutions to ignore any purported amendment said to have been carried out through the back door.

“The constitution stipulates 4-years term for the NECOM, their term expired on April 16th. We were supposed to have done this inauguration since 17th of April, but due to one reason or the other, it has not been possible.

“We know that members have been suffering, the port has been a nightmare, ANLCA used to interface with the authorities, but found out that nothing was working again.

“So we are here to take over the running of the association. Section 22 (2c) of the constitution empower the BOT to administer the association for six months in the case that election could not be held.

‘We want to assure you that there is nothing we have done here today that is outside the constitution.”

Also speaking, Sir John Oforbike, leader of the Western Zone commended the BoT for taking the bull by the horn and doing the needful by inaugurating the interim executive

He said, “We were elected into office at Enugu State in April 2018, and our tenure expired on April 16th 2022. I was called upon by them for my tenure to be elongated by another one year but I refused.

“They went ahead and amended the constitution to allow five year tenure.

Our members have continued to suffer because there was no leadership. This present board tried to broker peace, but these people never allowed it to work.

“We have waited so long to see the BOT react accordingly, but today we are happy that you have woken up from your slumber. ANLCA has now become a laughing stuck in the midsts of other associations, the number has now become the last in the scheme of things.

“This Secretariat belong to all of us, I was the person that invited Dikko Inde who gave us part of the money we used to purchase the Secretariat, hence we named it after him as Dikko Inde House.

Farinto and co never contributed a dime, I was the one that brought Mukaila into ANLCA,” he recounted.

In his acceptance speech, the Acting National President, Mr Pius Ujubonu who assured that they will not fail to deliver on their mandate, noting that the inauguration of his team marks a watershed in the history of ANLCA.

“The board has taken a very decisive decision today, we are assuring you that to the best of our ability, you would not regret this action.

You are the owners of the association, we can only be great if we corporate together.

“Impostors cannot hold us to ransome, the position they are holding have expired. If you are having an expired driving license, the police would tell you it is null and void.

“Gone are the days when the association will be put under lock and keys for weeks. All ANLCA members are enjoined to henceforth start coming to the National Secretariat of the association. The building belongs to all of us. It’s not the property of any single individual.”

“Ours is to reconcile all frayed nerves and bring everybody onboard. We cannot work if the chapter chairmen, zonal leaders, the board are not with us.”