ANLCA Crisis: Real Reasons Why Tony Iju was Attacked At PTML—Oluwole Obey

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Chairman PTML Chapter of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Elder Oluwole Obey has opened up on the real reasons why the association’s National President, Tony Iju was attacked by clearing agents at the PTML chapter in Lagos.

Recall that the ANLCA President was reportedly attacked on February 18, 2021 at PTML terminal when he was going to the Customs Area Controller of the PTML Customs command to officially introduce some parallel chapter executives.

During the visit, he was allegedly attacked by aggrieved members who disposed him of his phones, cash and other valuables.

Speaking with DAILY TREND NEWS in Lagos on Monday, Chairman of the PTML Chapter of ANLCA, Elder Oluwole Obey debunked insinuations that the attack was masterminded by the chapter executives.

Elder Obey sad the clearing agents revoked against the President because he was coming to install a parallel executive, whilst myriads of their operational challenges were left unattended to by the National Secretariat.

“Let me tell you about what happened at PTML chapter that day, you cannot build anything on illegality, agents are crying and lamenting extortions and exploitations by government agencies on the roads, after their cargoes have been cleared at the port, they are facing challenges, they are not happy, but the President is not addressing these issues”

“For agents to pick their cargoes at the port, trucks are collecting N350,000, a service that we were paying N50,000 before, wherever they want to offload the cargo, they would still pay, almost N600,000, they are not happy, agents are not happy”

“If I am being accused of knowing about his attack, it is totally false, I dont knowing anything about it, the agents only revoked on that day, nobody set them up to do that”

“If we are lamenting and looking for how our jobs can move, and you are carrying out illegality of trying to install some people at the command, you are not talking to us about our job, definitely people would revoke because they are not happy” he said

The ANLCA Chairman said that the ongoing crisis in the association has really taken a toll on the chapters and that, because ANLCA is not speaking in one voice, members challenges cannot be solved as it supposed to.

He said that if the President still returns to the port today, he could still be attacked by agents because they are not happy with him and his non performance.

“People would always mention my name as the mastermind because I am the Chairman of the chapter, they can say anything.
I know how I manage the members and how I intervene in their challenges, if I don’t know how to manage them, this is almost six years that I have been in the saddle and there has never been a single crisis”

“But if you as President is now coming in and there is a crisis, you need to check yourself.
The President should try and check himself because apparently, something is wrong somewhere. Nobody set him up, it was the agents that revoked, I am telling you that if he tries to come back, the agents would still revoke because the challenges are still there”

Speaking on the ugly incident that happened recently around Mile 2 Lagos where a Customs officer shot a clearing agent on the leg, Elder Oluwole Obey said it is as a result of the crisis in ANLCA because the leaders don’t speak in one voice.

He assured that, provided any clearing agent has genuine document, the chapter under his watch would fight their course to a logicalconclusion, he however stressed that it must be based on genuine documentation.

“They know that I am the right person to fight that war (Mile 2 shooting) but as I speak with you, there has been no report to me on that incident, I just read it in the news just like everyone else, and there is no way I can fight without evidence or a report.
Many things are going wrong because my President failed to be matured”

WHOEVER CLAIMS TO BE PARALLEL CHAIRMAN AT PTML CHAPTER IS A MAD MAN

Meanwhile, the ANLCA PTML Chairman, Elder Oluwole Obey has said that there is an impostor on the block, parading himself and saying he is a parallel chairman of the chapter.

It is worthy of note that the crisis within ANLCA has festered so much so, that factional chairmen are now being installed by the National Executive Committee (NECOM) at various chapters.

NECOM had recently conducted a Western Zone election and various persons were sent to the chapters as parallel chairmen. At PTML Chapter, Otunba Sunday Oyebola emerged as factional chairman.

Speaking on this, the PTML chairman, Elder Oluwole Obey said he remains the authentic chairman of the chapter.

“I have my certificate and it says my tenure will expire on 28th January 2022, I am still the authentic Chairman of PTML, the election took place in 2018”

“Whoever is claiming to be a parallel chairman at PTML is a mad man and a nonentity, he doesn’t even have a license”

“If anyone is claiming this, ask him if he has done any elections, there has been no other election. If there has been any election, the whole port would know because ANLCA elections is usually characterised by a lot of fanfare, posters and heavy campaigns which I did, so, where is this impostor coming from? This is my second term in office”

“The other man calling himself Otunba Oyebola, what structure does he have? Is he free to come to PTML? Does he have a relationship with the agents? You cannot build something on illegality, I would not stand” he said

The PTML Chairman while speaking on measured being taken to resolve resolve the 3-years old crisis in the association said that the BOT Chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha has made several efforts to settle issues amicably but his peaceful gestures were turned down.

“My BOT chairman has moved several times to have this crisis resolved on a round table, but all the overtures were turned down by Tony Iju.
The present Commissioner of Police had intervened at one time, and everybody agreed to make peace, but Tony came back and changed everything. The problem ANLCA has is Tony Iju because he doesn’t have a mind of his own. He is not a leader, he cannot control an association and he wants to go and contest in his village to become House of Representatives, he is a failure”

On allegations that the PTML Chapter is the only chapter without a structure or secretariat, he said the ISPS Code implementation has made it difficult to secure any space around the port for a secretariat.

“As I speak with you, I am still talking with NPA, the new port manager on how to get a space. To get an office for Secretariat is not a problem, but the people wants me to be closer to them, I have my personal office in Apapa, but the chapter members want a secretariat that is closer to the port, this has proved difficult”

“The NPA container complex that we would have secured, we were told that the place is under litigation. The only option is to move out of the port environment, it is not that I cannot get a secretariat, but i don’t want to move out of the port environment where I am needed to promptly respond to members challenges”

“Grimaldi Shipping has even promised me a 40foot container, that whenever I get a space they would bring it for us” he said