ANLCA President Denies Knowledge of Restraining Order, As Court Sacks Entire Executives
By DAPO OLAWUNI
National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike has denied knowledge of a court order reportedly ordering him and his executives to stop parading themselves in office.
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos declared the elections that brought-in the current executives of ANLCA as null and void, even as it ordered Nwabunike and his executives to stop parading himself in office.
The presiding judge gave the order on August 20, 2020, in favour of a case instituted against Tony Iju and other executive members of the association by the plaintiffs – Mr. Olumide Fakanlu and Mr. John Nwagbaraocha – on July 20, 2020
However in his reactions with DAILY TREND NEWS, the ANLCA President said he has not been served such court order, he said he only saw it on one of the social media platforms. He said he is still operating at his office at National Secretariat.
Nwabunike said the plaintiffs are not financial members of ANLCA for the past three years.
“Court proceedings is flying and I am yet to receive it, though read in one of the platforms. The plaintiffs are not even up to date financial members of the association since past three years” he said
A top member who spoke with DAILY TREND NEWS under anonymity said that the judgement was coming because, some members of the ANLCA Board of Trustees (BOT) that conducted the Nwabunike elections were not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as at that time.
According to the case instituted against Iju Nwabunike and others, the plaintiffs sought the prayers of the court to stop Nwabunike and others from parading themselves as the officers of the association and carrying out any assignments on behalf of the association.
The court however granted the request of the plaintiffs by restraining the defendants – Tony Iju Nwabunke and others – from acting or performing activities on behalf of the association until the hearing and determination of the interlocutory injunction.
The presiding judge however adjourned the case to September 9, 2020, for the motion for interlocutory injunction.
Our correspondent however gathered that the ANLCA President has not been served the judgement officially. Also, when he was contacted, the National Secretary, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila told our correspondent that he has not been served any court judgement.
Recall that the ANLCA BOT had been engulfed in a protracted leadership crisis for the past two years. The players; Chief Henry Njoku and Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha were fighting over who should be Chairman of the BOT.
In the course of the frosty relationship and myriads of court cases that ensued, it was discovered that almost six years into the life of the board, Taiwo Mustapha and a few others were not properly documented with the CAC. This prompted Mustapha and his group to approach the CAC and regularised their membership.
The Federal High Court has now declared all activities carried out by the board in the past as null and void, including the elections conducted in 2018.
