ANLCA’s Expired NECOM: Time to Stop the Naked Dance, Quit the Stage

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By DAPO OLAWUNI

It is no longer news that the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has been in dissaray in the past four years due to the intractable leadership crisis and power tussle that followed the inauguration of Tony Iju Nwabunike as National President on 14th of April 2018.

Nwabunike had defeated his opponent, Chief Emenike Nwokeoji by few margin of three votes to emerge winner of the keenly contested election in Enugu State.

After Iju’s emergence alongside his team comprising of Kayode Farinto as Vice President, Babatunde Mukaila as National Secretary, Hajia Bola Muse as Financial Secretary amongst others, the expectation of stakeholders was that the National Executive Committee (NECOM) would be magnanimous in victory in a “No Victor No Vanquish” partnership drive.

L-R: Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila, Hon Tony Iju, Dr Kayode Farinto and another elder of the association, Prince Ozo Chukwura at a press conference in Lagos

However, events that unfolded after the election showed that Tony Iju and his exco were bent on a vendetta to crush his perceived enemies in the South West who did not vote for him.

His administration proceeded to suspend all the Western Zone chapter chairmen during a controversial emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja around November 2018. He was later to apologize that he was forced to go along with the decision by some powerful interests in the association.

HOW THE CRISIS ALL STARTED

For administrative convenience, the Board of Trustees of ANLCA usually elect their chairman for 2-years tenure. Since the current BOT got elected on 13th February 2014 in Warri Delta State, Chief Henry Njoku has remained the Chairman until 13th of April 2018, a day before Tony Iju’s inauguration.

In their wisdom, the BOT had thought it wise to change its leadership to reflect the ethnic balancing in ANLCA, since Tony Iju, an Igbo man is coming onboard as President, the Board Chairman should be a Yoruba.

The BOT Chairmanship election conducted at Santiago Hotel in Festac Town, Lagos saw Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha emerging as Chairman, Chief Dennis Okafor Vice Chair, and Prince Taiye Oyeniyi as Secretary.

Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha

However, Henry Njoku and his ally, Chief Peter Obi vehemently kicked against the results of the BoT election of that fateful night, this was the genesis of the whole crisis that almost consumed the association formed in 1954.

According to insiders account, Henry Njoku’s grouse was that his colleagues chose the night before Tony Iju’s inauguration to effect board leadership change in order to disgrace him out. Those in the know of ANLCA’s politicking say Njoku’s perceived grief was however puerile and questionable, given similar historical account of board leadership changes hitherto.

Nevertheless the robust democratic atmosphere, Tony Iju in a questionable manner, gave backing to Henry Njoku by playing the hide and seek game and refusing to recognize Taiwo Mustapha as the new board Chairman.
It’s on record that Tony lju requested a 90 days grace period to afford Njoku a graceful exit, which the elected board faulted and accepted to accord him 30 days instead.

Events that ensued afterwards saw Peter Obih and his Skysail Ltd proceeding to file a suit at the Federal High Court Ikoyi seeking to nullify the Board membership of 5 of the 8 Board members in the suit No. FHC/L/CS/1274/2018

A judgment was entered by Justice Rilwan Aikawa on the 11th of October 2019, wherein the elected BOT of 13th February 2014 in warri Delta state was nullified for not being registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as demanded by law.

The implication and interpretation of this judgment was that the BOT election of 13th February 2014 in Warri Delta state is null and void, and of no effect until formally registered by CAC.

Based on this judgement, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha led Board members proceeded to CAC to registered as directed by the law. After payment of all outstanding statutory dues and penalties, the BOT was issued a certificate of registration on 16th January 2020.

In accordance with Sections 827 – 835 of CAMA of 2020 the tenure of the Registered BOT commences on the date the CAC certificate is issued. The issuance of certificate of registration to the BOT was reaffirmed by Justice Oguntoyibo on the 29th June 2020 in suit no. FHC/L/CS/599/2020.

Coincidentally, Justice Rilwan Aikawa who gave the first judgment restricting the BOT until registered with CAC, issued another order on the 26th of August 2020 to the effect that NECOM members elected at Enugu on 13th March 2018 should stop parading themselves as National officers of ANLCA thenceforth, and to stop signing documents on its behalf.

It is however on record that only the Western Zone Coordinator, Sir John Oforbike and the National Publicity Secretary, Joe Sanni obeyed the court order by stepping aside. They stopped parading themselves immediately in respect of the court judgement.

Despite the clear orders of the court, Tony lju led NECOM severally and continuously acted in contempt of court judgment and Orders, by conducting elections into various chapters as well as amending the association’s constitution.

The question that has been bothering sane minds in the association is; how can you amend constitution against the orders of a court judgment and at a time the association is in the thick of crisis?

It was not unexpected that the board obtained court judgement nullifying AGM/BOT appointment and purported Constitution Amendment on 16th December, 2020 at concorde Hotel Owerri as null and void.

But the NECOM continued it’s reign of impunity as it also proceeded to extend it’s tenure in office from 4-years to 5-years, without bothering to seek input from majority of the association members.

After this anomaly, a lot of water has gone under the bridge with several peace meetings called in order to restore the association into one big family that it used to be.
There are indications that the more the BoT bend double backwards to initiate peaceful resolutions and compromises, NECOM consistently throws spanners on the wheel of progress by reneging, in the calculated resolve to frustrate attempts to end the crisis; thus they can run roughshod on the overall interests of members, and continue to feed fat from the crisis in perpetuity.

Investigations has proven that some elements in the Tony Iju’s executive were benefitting from the crisis in the association, they see it as an opportunity to settle old grudges with some old hands inside the BOT.

On June 23, 2021, the former NECOM did the unthinkable, they decided to expel key members of the BOT, and Western Zone at a National Executive Council meeting at Marriott Hotel, Ikeja.

Those expelled were former President of ANLCA, Chief Earnest Elochukwu, Sir John Oforbike and his company, Denca Services Limited; Mr Temitope Akindele of Great Star Line Nigeria Limited; Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha of Pyramid Nigeria Limited; Taiye Oyeniyi of Mackmany Nigeria Limited; Joe Sanni of Multimodal Logistics Limited; and Gideon Nwagbaraocha and his company.

This expulsion further added salt to the injuries, further fueling the crisis. The question the Western Zone stakeholders were asking the NECOM was; is it possible for a tenant to send his landlord packing?

Note that, as at today, the Taiwo Mustapha led BOT remains the only board known to law as custodians of assets and liabilities of the association, they are the ones in whose name the National Secretariat, Inde Dikko House, Festac Town Lagos was purchased.
Yet, the illegal Owerri AGM and the hunchback factional BoT produced in which the respected Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi is chairman, with Ozo Chukwura as vice chairman, remain perpetually bedridden.
The Afolabi led BoT has to remain so, knowing that to attempt to lay claim to any official task is to go to jail.
Thus the naked dance have produced only shame and impunity cloaked in silent pretence.

As April 16th 2022, the Tony lju tenure expiration was weeks away, he absconded abroad under the guise of going for a “study leave”, further plunging the association into fresh crisis.

Dr Kayode Farinto (left) and Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila

It was not difficult for discerning minds to figure out the plot to use his Vice President, Kayode Farinto and his National Secretary, Babatunde Mukaila to continue the ugly episodes he started, to the chargrin of majority of ANLCA members who see them as nothing but impostors.

The Taiwo Mustapha led executives, after being inundated with barrage of complaints of suffering of members, decided to return sanity into the association Wednesday last week.

A NEW DAWN BECKONS IN ANLCA

The 5-man BOT of ANLCA has taken a decision, they have taken over the National Secretariat of ANLCA and appointed interim executives to pilot it’s affairs for the next three to six months.
Section 22 (2c) of the constitution empower the BOT to administer the association for six months in the case that election could not be held.

Heading the interim NECOM in acting capacity is Mr Pius Ujubonu as President, Jamiu Adeyinka as acting Vice President; Joe Sanni, acting National Secretary; Francis Ituah as acting National Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Usman as Treasurer and Waheed Gbadamosi as the acting Financial Secretary.

The newly inaugurated Acting NECOM of ANLCA being sworn-in
The newly inaugurated Acting NECOM of ANLCA being sworn-in

In all of these, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Abiodun Alabi gave the BOT police protection because the police happened to have realized the truth behind the whole crisis and have come to realization of who has been telling lies and spreading falsehood in order to remain relevant in office.

CONCLUSION

Prior to Tony Iju’s emergence as President, ANLCA was one big family with a mercurial public image that makes departments of government freely associate with it. The last National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu gave the association a powerful identity and goodwill that Tony lju and his gang squandered away; leaving ANLCA a shadow of itself that lesser sister association now push around as an appendage.

Those who are still bent on fomenting trouble should have a rethink.
The generality of ANLCA members are with the Mustapha led BoT and want an end to the crisis.
Those still nursing evil ambition to continue in using the crisis to feather their nest should realize that the Voice of the people is the Voice of God. They are advised to quit the stage now.

In the past four years, there has been no quality leadership in ANLCA due to the crisis, members are crying daily, while they have equally been subjected to various level of maltreatment in the hands of Nigeria Customs and other regulatory agencies. They have been like ships without shepard.

While smaller associations have since taken the center stage, ANLCA was relegated to the background. A member warned about two years ago that Tony lju’s plan is to destroy ANLCA. He is in safe haven oversea, those in cohort with him should desist.

Now that the BOT is back to restore the association to its winning and progressive part again, our advise is for the expired NECOM members to quit the stage and tow the line of Tony Iju.

They should give peace a chance by leaking their wounds quietly. They should accept that the game is over.
Needless to remind them that with the current resolve by the registered Board to clean up the association following the majority of members support, no amount of propaganda and thuggery will suffice anymore.
The majority of members of the association have decided to take back what belong to them. No single man can again lock-up the secretariat and walk away with the feeling of an emperor.

It is a new dawn!

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