ANLCA Crisis: CRFFN Chairman Forces Farinto’s Group To Suspend Controversial AGM

By DAPO OLAWUNI

There are fresh indications that the controversial Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) would no longer hold as earlier scheduled for today 7th February 2023 at Marriot Hotel, Ikeja Lagos.

In a circular issued by a faction of the association led by Mr Kayode Farinto, he said the group is suspending the AGM as a result of the intervention of the Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar.

Recall that the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the association, led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha had on Monday issued an advertorial, announcing cancellation of the controversial AGM. However, despite the announcement, Mr Farinto had urged members to disregard the BOT announcement and go ahead to attend the meeting.

He later backtracked and told members on Monday that the AGM has been suspended based on the demand of the CRFFN Chairman that he would like to attend the meeting in person.

The widely circulated message read “Professional colleagues, I am sorry to inform you that the AGM will no more hold tomorrow due to the fact that the Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding practice insist that he wishes to Observe our AGM for the first time,

“However, due to Campaign going on in his state, he can’t make it tomorrow, hence we will shift the AGM by few days and communicate to you.

“We are highly sorry for any inconveniences this might have caused. This will also allow the other group make their inputs for a successful AGM. The most important thing is to achieve a lasting peace in our great Association”

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Recall that ANLCA has been in a leadership crisis for the past five years. The registered BOT led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha on one side and National Executive Committee (NECOM) headed by Tony Iju Nwabunike on the other side.

Meanwhile, since the expiration of his tenure in 2023, Hon Tony Iju had left the position, under the guise of going for a study leave abroad. However, the ruins he left behind was inherited by his Vice President, Mr Kayode Farinto.

In recent time, both factions have sat down at a meeting summoned by the Nigeria Police Lagos Command. The major resolution of the meeting is that both parties are in agreement to constitute the Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) which would conduct the next set of elections into various offices.

They also agreed to constitute an organizing committee for an expanded AGM, five man from both sides, where major concessions and demands from both sides would be tabled before all members and ratified.

In addition, both warring factions had agreed to suspend the controversial constitution amendment of 2020 which gave tenure extension to Farinto’s group which they are currently holding onto to remain in April till April 2023.

The Nigeria Police which acted as the Ombudsman at the meeting was charged to contact the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in order to verify and authenticate the authentic BOT registered with the body.

Our correspondent gathered that the police is yet to return with it’s findings almost three weeks after the meeting.

However, according to the Taiwo Mustapha BOT faction, Kayode Farinto’s group violated these agreements by going ahead to fix the February 7th date of the AGM unilaterally without agreement of the BOT.

Farinto’s group has however argued that they have the right to call for the AGM because they are still in office as National Executive running the day to day affairs of the association.