ANLCA MMIA Chapter: How Nwokeoji’s led-NECOM Redeemed 4-Years Constitutional Disobedience

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The baying, whinnying and apparent cry of blue murder by certain individuals and interests within the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), following the audacious but graceful decision of the current National Executive Committee (NECOM) to respect and obey a court judgment that was shunned and ignored for more than four years by the prior NECOM; could not have been unexpected.

As the saying goes, the guilty are not always, only afraid, but very often, are the most vociferous in alleging wrong doings by others within their sub set. It is more so when they find ready and willing tools amongst the fifth columnists, who are notoriously loud in amplifying everything that is otherwise misleading and false.

It bears emphasizing that this has been the situation since Friday, April 26, 2024 Friday, when ANLCA’s present National Executive Council (NEC) choose to honour the ruling of a Badagry High Court Division that nullified the election of Prince Bamgbala Adewusi as the Chairman of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Chapter (MMIA) chapter among other key decisions taken by the NEC to restore order and discipline back into the association.

According to court documents and rulings, the election of Prince Bamgbala Adewusi was not only legally defective but a reflection of the leadership rascality of the then national leadership, which created room albeit arrogantly for questionable chapter leadership election which provided Prince Adewusi the opportunity to engage in an illegal election in 2019; shortly after a prior lawful exercise.

Following the confusion created by the then NECOM and the apparent blind ambition by some pugilists to cast their spear on the battle field, there emerged three claimants to the MMIA chairmanship position.

They are Mr Temitope Pius Akindele, Prince Bamgbala Adewusi and Alhaji Bola Ashiru Balogun. While Akindele won the chairmanship election of the chapter held on December 19, 2018, Adewusi and Balogun contested the same position in the controversial fresh election conducted by the then NECOM in January 2021, despite in a court injunction against such exercise by Akindele the incumbent chapter chairman who still had close to three years in office before his tenure was due.

However, in the aftermath, Balogun secured a court ruling that invalidated Adewusi’s participation in the said election on the grounds of doubtful qualification; even as the court declared the former, Balogun, winner of the election.

But in defiance to due process and democratic norm, the Iju Tony Nwabunike led NECOM swore in Prince Adewusi; irrespective of the court injunction served on them by Akindele.

Industry minders claimed that the development was the beginning of the single biggest crisis to have hit the chapter; and because of the dynamics of the power player, put out the chapter as the most problematic and chaotic.

It will be recalled that Prince Adewusi’s hold to the chairmanship position of the MMIA ’s was again challenged in February 2023 at the Badagry High Court where he was declared an impostor and usurper.

It is also instructive to note that while Adewusi’s sack by the Badagry High Court and the declaration of Balogun as the authentic chairman was the prevailing judicial status quo ante, it was nonetheless repudiated by the Nwabunike led NECOM until the expiration of its cataclysmic tenure in September 2023.

Based on its campaign promise to reinvent, reposition and restore ANLCA back to its pride of place following the locust years, the National President, Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji  and his exco are believed to have repeatedly engaged presiding officers and opponents in the conflict prone chapters to key into the new vision and to brace up for conciliatory measures.

Matters came to a head recently when the chapter reportedly came under serious confusion following Temitope’s attempt to lawfully assume leadership, which the NECOM considered a sore point and resolved to holistically look into the crisis and put an end to it.

In the light of the above, the Nwokeoji led-NECOM set up a fact-finding committee to investigate the root cause of the leadership crisis at the MMIA and to recommend solution.

The committee members comprise Olumide Fakunle (Chairman), Bayo Oyekangun (Secretary), Barr. Chukwube Osonwa (Legal Adviser);  Salawa Olalekan and Chief Lere Ogundele, Members, respectively.

The committee according to impeccable insider sources while treating the MMIA crisis invited the three contenders namely, Prince Bamgbala Adewusi, Alhaji Bola Ashiru Balogun and Mr Temitope Pius Akindele who have contested the chapter chairmanship election since 2018 to date for discussion and interrogation.

While Akindele and Balogun, respectively, presented information and legal documents to support their participation in electoral processes in which they emerged winners by virtue of the electoral process in the case of the former, and through litigation in the case of Balogun; Adewusi reportedly presented an APPEAL DOCUMENT against the court rulings obtained by his opponents in favour of his continued stay in office, sine dune.

Our reporter gathered that the committee found that the said APPEAL is immaterial without a ruling on the Stay of Execution against his ouster as obtained by Akindele Temitope; and advised ANLCA to obey the court order to avert an endless crisis at the chapter.

The Committee also discovered that the only safe and quick foreclosure to endless court and counter court processes and its negative impact on the stability and progress of the association was for ANLCA to reverse itself and obey the court judgment that nullified the election of Adewusi.

A copy of the Committee’s report sighted by our reporter read in part:

“The Committee frowned that its members resorted to litigations at different courts without first exploring the process of Arbitration as enshrined in the Supreme Constitution of ANLCA.

“The Committee find that Mr. Bamgbala’s Inability to avail the Committee of a STAY oF EXECUTION Is Fatal To His Case Because An Appeal Is not a STAY of EXECUTION.

“Following from 5 Above the judgment in Suit No BD/3134GCM/2019 where the court ordered ANLCA to swear in Mr. Akindele of Green Star Line Ltd is still not obeyed. ANLCA is advised that it is running a risk of CONTEMPT OF COURT FOR THIS DISOEBEDIENCE.

“In furtherance to the above the Committee is of the opinion that if ANLCA had obeyed all the Interim Orders, Enrolment Orders and Rulings there wouldn’t have been another election that produced Mr. Bamgbala Adewusi let alone being successfully nullified by Ashiru Balogun Suit.

“It is noteworthy that the court warned against further elections but ANLCA  disobeyed and defied all the Orders  and thus PLACED SOMETHING ON NOTHING.

“The Committee is of the view that the root cause of MMIA crisis is lawlessness, defiance and flagrant disobedience to the Order of the Court by ANLCA. The Committee reminds ANLCA that in the judgment of 26^th June 2023, the Judge specifically rejected the argument of ANLCA that the Temitope Akindele’s office has been spent and ordered that he should be sworn in and inaugurated to commence his tenure of office.”

Accordingly, the NEC in its meeting of April 26, 2024 having considered all available options, was minded to adopt the position of the court as recommended by the Committee; following which Temitope Akindele was sworn in as chairman.

Under the circumstances, the development by all lawful indices, and by all intent and purposes the only credible and responsible option open to ANLCA, especially given the weight and validity of the June 2023 Badagry Court ruling.

Even the worst critic of the current national leadership of the association cannot in good conscience fault the NEC for bending double backwards to walk on the side of the law after years of arrogant defiance.

The just and well meaning cannot but appreciate ANLCA’s present leadership for showing magnanimity and leadership capacity in resolving the MMIA chapter crisis on a ‘no victor, no vanquished’ note, by conceding all necessary courtesies to Prince Adewusi, despite exposing the association to ridicule and public opprobrium.

Feelers from within express optimism that ANLCA is presently working and that things, are getting better. They argue that the ‘Nay Sayers’ and those predicting doom and the relapse of the association into crisis are dissident elements, together with their likeminded supporters, who profits more from confusion and instability.

In the final analysis, NEC’s decision on MMIA including the determined effort by NECOM to safeguard the integrity of other chapters in the western zone by breaking the yoke of factional tendencies, which  action calls for commendation rather than condemnation.

Amongst all supporter, sympathizers, and defenders of Prince Adewusi, no one of them understands due process, social cohesion and stability more than he does.

As an elder and leader, he understands the dynamics of power, and appreciates the gravity of victory and or defeat. It behooves him to appreciate the fact that he cannot be bigger than the NECOM or the NEC.

What is more, the former MMIA chapter chairman is a man of honour. Being one, he knows full well that his continued effort to sit tight in office despite the overwhelming evidences to the contrary, gives him up as one who’s unappreciative of the opportunity the association has so far afforded him.

It is time Prince Adewusi take the bold step by walking away with the courage of a sports man out of respect for the referee’s whistle, because, willy-nilly, the game is over!

No amount of subterfuge and orchestrated blackmail can be of help any longer. His lawyers and media friends know the truth; they know that the game is over.

Fortuitously, age is still on his side, coupled with good health and occupational agility. In the years to come, chances abound he may wish to try his luck again.

Reacting to the inchoate outcry that the ANLCA National President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji was responsible for Prince Adewusi’s ouster, an aide who does not wish to be identified because he was not authorized to speak hooted at the charge, saying if anything, Nwokeoji has been more than magnanimous.

“But for his (Nwokeoji) stance the NECOM would have since put a stop to all these shenanigans. He believes more in dialogue and persuasion, so it is wrong for the media to insinuate that he has anything against Adewusi or anyone else.

“Remember that the MMIA crisis has been there since 2018 until eventually this NEC made the decision to take the bull by the horn. If NEC makes a decision, it is binding on all. Which power does he have to say he will not surrender the chapter as demanded by NEC? He didn’t win the chapter election, he contested under an illegal exercise and those who won either way, are alive and kicking.

“And please don’t mind those prophets of doom saying crisis will engulf ANLCA again. The association is well and forward looking. ANLCA has stabilized largely and passed the stage any well meaning member could describe as still being politically fragile.

“That is a wicked wish by very few conceited, bigoted  and self-serving individuals with fragile personae, they are the ones bellyaching, they are the ones seeking always to obfuscate the truth, but ANLCA is well and making progress”, he noted.

On the allegation that Nwokeoji appointed  Akindele as sole administrator at MMIA chapter, he said, “We did not appoint a sole administrator, what we did was to restore a mandate according to the ruling of a competent court. Badagry court judgment invalidated the election of the immediate past exco. So if we are obeying court ruling, there is no way our action can be interpreted as wrong or lacking focus and democratic ideals.

“In Apapa, Tin Can, PTML and KLT, the tenure of those there before NEC action had already elapsed. With that came unrest and factional struggle and NEC decided to fix the problem by appointing interim leaders.

“Let me also state that this NEC certainly does not lack initiative and imagination as being canvassed by some busy body fellows who are trying to be clever by half.  Judge for yourself, between the NECOM and these lazy armchair critics, who is doing the right thing by ensuring that the regime of factional leadership is eliminated.”