ANLCA Crisis: Tony Iju’s NECOM Pleads to Settle Out of Court with Registered BOT

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike led National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has pleaded with the Registered Board of Trustees (BOT) of the association led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha for them to settle their differences out of court.

Recall that two members of ANLCA; Olumide Fakanlu, Chief Executive Officer of Obokun Freight Forwarders Limited and Gideon John Nwagbaraocha apparently acting on behalf of the Registered BOT had dragged Tony Iju’s NECOM before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The case culminated into Justice Aikawa issuing a Court Order in the case (FHC/L/CS/921) of 26th August 2020 restraining all elected NECOM from parading themselves as National and Zonal officers respectively.

However, the BOT had accused NECOM of severally violating this court order, including going ahead to conduct elections into some chapters of the association and setting up a parallel BOT.

At a hearing of the matter which came up again on Thursday before Justice Isiguzor of the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Counsel to the Registered BOT, Barrister Olu Daramola (SAN) told the Judge that the defendants have made overtures for out-of-court settlement and that he is discussing with the Counsel for the NECOM in this regard.

He pleaded for a four weeks adjournment in order to receive the proposal of the defendants.

Appearing for the 1st to 23rd defendants in the suit, Barr O. Kadiri (Mrs) confirmed that both parties are already discussing to settle out of court.

Justice Isiguzor commended both parties for agreeing to discuss in finding a way to settle their disputes out of court, saying that “winning a landmark case in court is not the same as winning on the outside, you could win a case and at the end of the day, your legs starts swelling up”

He however advised both parties to approach the discussion with sincerity of purpose.

He adjourned the case till 9th of February 2022 for report of settlement.

Meanwhile, DAILY TREND NEWS gathered exclusively that, as part of the out of court settlement, BOT would be giving the NECOM a condition to withdraw all actions it had taken, right from when the court order was issued.

The NECOM, according to a reliable source would also be mandated to publish in two national newspapers, declaring all its actions, including all elections conducted as null and void.

Recall that ANLCA has been going through a protracted leadership crisis since the inauguration of Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike in 2018.