Matters Arising, As ANLCA’s Mustapha Group Accept CRFFN Peaceful Resolutions

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…’We might Vote Farinto As President’—-Members

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha-led faction of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) have accepted all resolutions reached at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association held on Wednesday in Lagos, signalling an end to the 5-year old crisis that rocked the association.

As the politicking and race for the next ANLCA President begins, some of them have also indicated that they have forgiven the Acting National President, Kayode Farinto and that they might have to vote him as President of ANLCA.

Recall that the AGM meeting on Wednesday was at the instance of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) who midwifed all the proceedings of the meeting.

Part of the resolution of the meeting was that a new 8-man Board of Trustees (BOT) was inaugurated with four candidate each from the two warring factions. An Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) was also set up to conduct elections into the various positions, including national executives.

Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, a major player in the Mustapha group honorably stepped down from the board in order to give peace a chance, and he was inaugurated as a Patron of ANLCA. The Interim National Executive Committee set up by the Mustapha-led BOT was also asked to be dissolved and give room for Kayode Farinto’s NECOM.

However, the Mustapha-led BOT had at a meeting held at the Rockview Hotel in Apapa on Thursday briefed their members who formed majority of the Western Zone practitioners of ANLCA on the outcome of the AGM.

Sources at the meeting told DAILY TREND that the members were initially, highly disappointed in the five-man BOT for going into meeting with Farinto group and subsequently attending the AGM without carrying them along.
The members feared that they were being placed at a disadvantage, adding that there are certain issues not properly addressed at the AGM.

Briefing our correspondent on the outcome of the meeting, Mr Francis Itua, National Publicity Secretary of the interim NECOM that was set up by the former BOT said:

“Members were highly disappointed that after giving us their word that they would not attend that AGM, we were shocked that they attended. The Chairman said it was a high pressure mounted upon him

“There was a mistake made at the meeting, after ASECO was set up, they ought to have dissolved the NECOM, which Farinto and Mukaila are holding onto. It would not be good enough that you dissolved one party while the other party is still operating

“However, in the next two weeks, they are going to dissolve NECOM and appoint a new interim NECOM that would organize the election in collaboration with ASECO. This should be worked upon in the next meeting

“We are still going to meet to fashion out our own plan because we are trying to push out a candidate (for ANLCA President), at the same time, the bone of contention now is that, the other group are very prepared, if the election should take place now, we would not get anything.

“We are now telling them that if election is to be done, they should start from the chapter level and not from the NECOM, because it is the chapter executives that would vote in the NECOM. But if you start the election with NECOM, which chapter executive is going to vote?

“I don’t see how election can be done in the next three months. It is the chapters that would gather the licenses and send same to the ASECO.

“On our part, we were disorganized, but with all the explanations, we have agreed with them and have realized that nothing spoil, the problem started from the board, so, let them go and resolve it, we see they are doing that gradually” he said

Meanwhile, as the politicking and race for the next ANLCA President begins, some members of the former BOT-led faction have indicated that they have forgiven the Acting National President, Kayode Farinto and that they might have to vote him as President of ANLCA.

One of them, a prominent member at Tin Can Island Port (names withheld) told our correspondent that, even though the group is rooting for an Igbo candidate to continue from where Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike stopped at, there is a possibility of voting for Farinto if he can convince the members.

“We have a lot of candidate that we can field, we are standing on the fact that an Igbo candidate is best to come onboard.
However, if Farinto can cut across and appease people very well, we would overlook everything he has done and vote for him” he said

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