Registered BOT Sets to Drag CRFFN Chairman to Court for Truncating Peaceful Resolution of ANLCA Crisis

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Registered Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is set to drag the Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar to court for truncating the ongoing peaceful resolution of the five-year old leadership crisis that has bedeviled the association.

DAILY TREND reliably gathered from sources within the registered BOT, that the association is ready for a showdown with the CRFFN Chairman whom according to them has expressed bias in favor of Kayode Farinto and Chief Henry Njoku, the two gladiators in the ANLCA crisis, who are equally colleagues to Tsanni on the CRFFN governing board.

Speaking with DAILY TREND exclusively on Tuesday, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha alleged that the CRFFN Chairman Alhaji Tsanni was playing a script written for him by the duo of Kayode Farinto and Chief Henry Njoku, adding that both parties want to control the soul of ANLCA by all means.

“The Chairman can continue to issue threats, we have stated our position and written letters to them, I have never seen where the bonafide owner of something is being denied his right, as far as the law is concerned today, we are still the registered BOT, if they want to collect anything from us, they shouldn’t dictate to us

“We are not saying that we don’t want to settle this crisis, but the issue of saying that one person must withdraw from five of us, we cannot take it, if they want to bring additional four persons, it is okay by us, and we can move forward

“Farinto doesn’t have the constituted authority to direct anything for now, he is no longer the vice president, his tenure has expired, so you cannot build something on nothing

“This is what has been causing problems, anybody could go to court tomorrow and say that the AGM was not properly constituted because the person who called for the meeting was no longer the Vice President

“Part of the mischief of the CRFFN Chairman is that, he had set up a committee to look into ANLCA Crisis, what is stopping him from releasing the report? Seven months later? Henry Njoku has been to my office and told me all these plans, but they cannot dictate to us”

“We thought we were moving forward when both factions have agreed that we should work with the 2018 constitution, we should be five on the board, while they bring additional four people. We agreed to set up ASECO with us bringing three names while they bring two names, making five, so that we can start arranging for elections.

“I don’t know why they decided to renege and what exactly they want” he said

On his part, Secretary of the Registered Board, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi hinted that the Board is suing the CRFFN Chairman himself to court, questioning the order he has to start taking sides on the crisis.

“This matter has been resolved, we have even set up the ASECO, the police has helped us to handle most of the issues, but all of a sudden they want to use that controversial 2020 constitution. Whatever is done based on that constitution is null and void”

DAILY TREND reports that before the controversial press statement issued by the CRFFN Chairman on February 12th 2023, the ANLCA registered board and the expired National Executive Committee (NECOM) were already in resolution meetings on how to bring back peace into the association.

At a meeting held with the representative of Commissioner of Police in attendance, the two factions had agreed that the controversial 2020 constitution be set aside, while they agreed to work with 2018 ANLCA Supreme Constitution which stipulates only four years in office for National Executives.

The two factions had agreed to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) where all resolutions and outstanding issues shall be tabled before the generality of ANLCA members for ratification.

According to the National Secretary of NECOM, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila, there was also an agreement to set up an Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) which would supervise election of fresh executives into office.

On the ASECO, there was an agreement that Registered Board should field three names, while NECOM should bring two names. Alhaji Mukaila had told our correspondent that this has already been done.

As for the AGM, the two factions agreed that five names should be brought by each faction to make up the 10-man AGM Committee, out of which a Chairman shall be selected to head the AGM.

In addition, both factions agreed that the Nigerian Police should carryout a finding at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to determine the true nature of the BOT and to determine who are the authentic registered BOT.

This is even as both factions are working towards merger of the two Boards, the controversially set up BOT headed by Barr Taiwo Afolabi had agreed to bring four names to join the authentic BOT led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha to make up a nine man board.

All these were part of the resolutions that has been reached by the two warring factions in the ANLCA crisis before the sudden press statement issued by the CRFFN Chairman, and all hell was let loose.

Not minding the progress so far made by the internal peaceful resolution efforts of the association and the Police, the Chairman of CRFFN, Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar in a statement signed by the Chairman, Committee on Media and Publicity of the Council, Mr Muftahu Ya”u, directed the warring factions to set up a fresh Board of Trustees (BOT) which would constitute four persons from both sides. Adding that the 9th person shall be determined by the CRFFN.

Tsanni also directed his ally, Kayode Farinto to call for an Annual General Meeting (AGM) at a venue chosen by the CRFFN; Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

The statement reads “Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the CRFFN ACT NO.16 Of 2007, which mandates the Council the general duty of ” Regulating and Controlling all the Associations of Freight Forwarding Agents”, it became imperative for the Council to intervene in the affairs of any association at a time of crises where internal mechanisms to resolve the crises proves abortive.

“Prior to the last extra-ordinary emergency meeting held in Abuja on the 9th, February this year to resolve the crises, the Council had earlier applied and adopted many approaches and mechanisms, together with consultations with the aggrieved parties involved before arriving at the following resolutions.

1) That the Associations’s Annual General Meeting be convened immediately.
2) That the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Association be nine members.
3) That each of the two aggrieved parties shall nominate four (4) members to serve as their representatives on the Board of Trustees.
4) That the ninth member of the Board of Trustees be elected at the Annual General Meeting.
5) That the Council Chairman and the Acting Registrar will attend the Annual General Meeting to oversee the conduct of the Annual General Meeting.
6) That it is hoped that the aforementioned measures would help resolve the lingering crisis.
7) That the Annual General Meeting be convened at a venue to be provided by the Council.

“In light of the above, the Council Chairman Dr. Abubakar Tsanni has directed the Acting President of the Association, Dr. Kayode Farinto to convene an Annual General Meeting which should have in attendance all members of the Association on Thursday, 2nd March, 2023 by 11: am at Oriental Hotel Lagos.

However, this statement has since attracted a lot of negative criticisms for the CRFFN Chairman.