Mustapha Thank Members, Contestants, Stakeholders For Peaceful ANLCA Election

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha has thanked all members of the association for supporting the peaceful conduct of election into the National Executive Committee (NECOM), which took place yester at the Federal palace Hotel Lagos.

While congratulating the President-elect, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji and his Vice Presidential-elect, Prince Segun Oduntan, he also thanked the losing camp led by Dr. Kayode Farinto  for putting up a good show, especially for supporting the peaceful conduct of the election; and admonished both winners and losers to work together for the progress and benefit of the association and its members.

Mustapha also thanked the Nigeria Customs Consultative Council (CCC), the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and other concerned stakeholders for standing by ANLCA during its period of difficulty; and helping to navigate an opening to the peaceful conduct of the election.

In a prepared statement made available to our reporter and signed by himself, the Chairman BoT also appreciated individual members of the association for giving the board under his leadership the required support it needed to be able to function well, noting that election having come and gone, it is time for everyone, both winners and losers to continue to see themselves as brothers and sisters, and part of one great family.

The statement reads: “On behalf of my humble self and on behalf of the Members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), I want to thank all ANLCA members for the cooperation they have given me so far as Chairman of Board of this great Association.

“For me l have a sense of gratitude having come this far with all the turbulence in recent past and knowing that God has made it possible for us to land safely as we conclude the change of leadership and look forward to a new vista of cooperation and progress.

“We have not been alone, concerned stakeholders have seen reasons to stand by us at every critical stage, and l want to say that we appreciate them all. I however want to say a big thank you to the Customs Consultative Committee (CCC) ably chaired by Aare Hakeem Olarewaju, Dr Eugene Nweke and Rtd DCG Austin Warikoro, for their sterling contributions to the attainment of peace, which led to the successful election exercise.

l want to thank the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) especially the Council Governing Chairman, Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar, and to thank all members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) for their individual roles in birthing a new administration in ANLCA.

“I want to also put on record the role Prince Taye Oyeniyi has played in the course of this journey and of course, the statesmanship role of Chief Ernest Elochukwu, Prince Olayiwola Shittu Elochukwu, l thank the two of them specially; while not also forgetting our past leaders for their behind the curtain mediatory roles, advises and counseling.”

He urged that with the end to electioneering processes, all camps should dissolve and revert to a single family status and hence lend their individual support for the success of the newly elected administration.

“In view of the above, especially in view of the safe conduct of the election earlier today, l want every member to know that yes, a winner has emerged finally, but l want all to be assured that it is a win-win contest for both camps.

“A this juncture, l want to especially call and thank Dr. Kayode Farinto and Alhaji Mukaila Abdulazeez for holding out the best way they could during the period of the crisis in addition to Mukaila Abdulazeez’s  brief sole administrator-ship stint; during which period we drew from his wealth of knowledge and experiences about the knitty-gritty of the Association that has contributed to birthing our safe landing.”

He also appealed to the newly elected leadership to demonstrate comradeship and be accommodating and to carry everybody along.

“I want to also commend and thank the newly elected National Executive Committee (NECOM), especially the National President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji and his Vice, Prince Segun Oduntan and to urge them not to see today’s victory as a winner-take-it-all affair, they must be magnanimous in victory and to reach out to their opponents and to regard the whole exercise as a brotherly contest.

“Having thanked the past acting and newly elected national past presidents for allowing peace to reign at the election, l want to urged them and all members of this great family to understand that election is about partisanship and that after it has been won and lost, it is time to come together, time for partnership and thus they must rally around the new NECOM and National President to make it possible for them to succeed in taking ANLCA to a greater height.

“I believe that for as long as God in His Infinite Mercies continue to keep us alive, those who lost today may win tomorrow, and therefore l urge everyone to keep the peace and continue to offer service through selfless and vigorous support for the good of ANLCA and all its members”, he enthused.