ANLCA Crisis Update: CRFFN Committee Gives Taiwo Mustapha’s BoT Clean Bill of Health

By DAPO OLAWUNI

Fresh indications have emerged that the conflict resolution committee set up by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to resolve the protracted leadership crisis in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) may have granted a clean bill of health to the Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha led Board of Trustees (BOT)

Members of the Conflict Resolution Committee include officials of the Transport Ministry, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), CRFFN, veteran freight forwarders and some members of the CRFFN Governing Board. The committee is headed by Alhaji Abba Yusuf.

Inside sources at the recent peace meeting held at the instance of the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, Mr Abiodun Alabi at his Ikeja Lagos office, told DAILY TREND that the CRFFN Committee attended the meeting on the directive of the Minister of Transportation.

According to sources, the members of the CRFFN Committee condemned the tenure elongation perpetuated by the expired Tony Iju’s expired National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the association.

The committee also noted that it was wrong for the duo of Dr Kayode Farinto and Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila to keep holding on to office, even after expiration of their tenure in office.

“The meeting was attended by the CRFFN Resolution Committee, Alhaji Tijaco was there, Increase Uche among others attended. They told Tony Iju boys that the only constitution known to law is the one they used to swear them into office”

“This means that their tenure has expired and they have to step aside. The question they were asked was that, is it possible for President Muhammadu Buhari to stand up today and say he has adjusted the constitution, and he will extend his stay in office? We are not inna Banana Republic” the source stated

According to him, the Police and the CRFFN also queried why the purported constitution amendment carried out in 2020 by Tony Iju was taken to Owerri, and not in Lagos where majority of ANLCA members can attend and have an input.

Our correspondent recalls that, sequel to the meeting with the Lagos CP, the Barr Taiwo Afolabi had announced registration of it’s factional BOT, and a certificate of registration purportedly issued to her by the the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)

Another source confirmed to our correspondent that, the committee made it clear to the Police Commissioner that the only constitution of ANLCA recognized is the 2008 constitution.

The committee has directed the Police that the ANLCA National Secretariat and other chapter Secretariats, should remain shutdown indefinitely until the crisis is resolved.

Meanwhile, there are apprehensions among ANLCA members that the CRFFN Committee is yet to submit it’s report to the Minister of Transportation three weeks after completion of it’s task.

During the inauguration of the committee in Lagos on September 1st, the Chairman of the CRFFN Governing Council, Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni had stated that the Committee was expected to unearth the underlying factors which led to the conflicts and proffer recommendations before September 7th, 2022.

The Council Chairman noted that with over 3,000 members and massive revenue generated for the federal government, ANLCA should be providing leadership worthy of emulation for freight forwarding associations.

“We will do our best to address the problems in such a manner that the two factions will be satisfied with the resolutions of the Council. The Committee will also explore the roles of Nigerian Police and the judiciary in the ANLCA fracas in a bid to prevent further conflicts on the issue” Tsanni stated

Even though both warring factions in the ongoing crisis have agreed to abide by the recommendation of the CRFFN Committee Report, Leader of ANLCA Western Zone, Chief John Oforbike recently raised alarm of plans to kill the report by Chief Henry Njoku, a major actor in the Tony Iju’s camp.