ANLCA Crisis: Board Warns Customs, Shippers Council, Others to Dissociate from NECOM
The Board of Trustees (BOT) of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has written an open letter to all stakeholders in Nigerias maritime industry, warning them not to associate with the present executives led by Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike.
The open letter signed by five members of the ANLCA BOT accused the executives of flagrant disobedience to an existing court order which allegedly stops them from parading themselves in office as ANLCA leaders.
The faction of the ANLCA BOT which signed the open letter is headed by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha. Other signatories are; Dayo Azeez, Denis Okafor, Earnest Elochukwu and Prince Taiye Oyeniyi.
According to him board, the ANLCA executives recently went on to inaugurate chapters in Kano and Abuja in total disregard for Justice Rilwan Aikawa’s order in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/921/2020, directing them to stop parading themselves as National Officers of the association.
The letter reads: “Some National officers of ANLCA have unilaterally decided to disobey Justice Rilwan Aikawa’s order in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/921/2020, directing them to stop parading themselves as National Officers of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), by going to Kano and Abuja chapters of the Association to conduct elections In their capacities as national officers of the Association on the 23rd and 24′” of September 2020″
“They were in Kano and Abuja respectively where they conducted elections into the two chapters. They went ahead and swore them in and issued them signed certificates of Return. They had all granted several interviews to the Maritime online Press before then, unhindered in an apparent disregard of the court order. Pictures herein are testimoniestotheseviolations”
“Members of the public, and especially Stakeholders, are hereby informed to disregard these actions, as they have acted in disobedience to subsisting courtorders”
“For the avoidance of doubt, Suit FHC/L/CS/599/2020 has recognized the BOT led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha as the legal BOT, as emphasized by the certificate of registration issued by CAC on 16th January 2020 and therefore supposed to conduct such elections in consonance with the provisions of ANLCA‘s Supreme Constitution 2008 (as amended)”
“That apart, the Order of Justice Aikawa in Suit FHC/L/CS/921/2020 expressly ordered that the National officers of ANLCA should stop parading themselves as such”
“The BOT has therefore, by this publication, decided to advise the general public and especially Stakeholders, to desist from acknowledging the restrained national officers from parading themselves in their former official capacities as National Officers of ANLCA, from claiming what they are not”
“Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Ports Authority, Directorate of Security Services, Nigerian Police Force, Standards Organization of Nigeria, etc should take note”
Meanwhile, the ANLCA President, Tony Nwabunike appeared undisturbed by these allegations, even as he has made it clear that the association won’t succumb to distractions, intimidations and discouragement by trouble shooters in the guise of elders.
The President maintained that the tenure of the board of the association has since expired, and that fresh elections into the board would be conducted soon.
The ANLCA boss made this statement while inaugurating the newly appointed interim executives of the Muritala Muhammad international airport chapter of the Association in Lagos on Tuesday.
He said in the next few weeks all ANLCA chapters would have their elections and the board also will come on stream.
