ANLCA Board has not in anyway Infringed on Constitutional Powers of the President, Emenike’s Aid Replies Farinto

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—Says Farinto is Crying More than the Bereaved
By DAPO OLAWUNI
Flowing from reports making rounds in the media where the former Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has alleged that the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Association has hijacked powers from the President, Emenike Nwokeoji, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Ayo Sulaiman has described the report as laughable.
Farinto had alleged that the ANLCA Board is overstepping its mandate with the termination of the appointment of the Secretary of the Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) Mr Tope Fatimilehin, even as he claimed that the board has taken over the role of the president.
It was gathered that Mr Fatimilehin was sacked by the board for openly denying signing a document suspending former ANLCA Secretary Babatunde Mukaila from contesting in the recent board elections.
Speaking with our correspondent, Ayo Sulaiman urged Farinto to stop playing to the gallery and crying more than the bereaved.
According to him, Farinto is acting as a contractual spokesperson for the affected Tope Fatimilehin whom, according to him have not in anyway protest his removal from ASECO.
He said “Whatever happens within ASECO is the prerogative of the BOT, and it is the duty of Tope Fatimilehin if he was removed unjustly, to respond to the allegations levelled against him, but if he is not saying anything, you cannot cry more than the bereaved.
“To us, Tope has not said anything, but if he is now talking to some individuals or groups, that is not binding on the President, and this should not be taken as a protest.
If he feels he was unjustly removed, he has the right to protest, but if he is now relying on contractual PROs or spokespersons, they too should come out and tell us what is their intention”
When asked if the BOT have the right to dismiss Tope Fatimilehin over the allegations levelled against him, the ANLCA Presidential media aid said “He who hire can fire, the board can only consult the NEC, it is the NEC that would ratify the decision and no one has called for NEC meeting yet.
“If there is any iota of doubt about the capacity of this government, it should not be based on the responsibility of the BOT which they merely exercised, Emenike Nwokeoji as the President of ANLCA and Chairman of NEC, has no blame in whatever happens in ASECO, he doesn’t set standards for election, that is the responsibility of BOT and ASECO, and I don’t think there has been any lapses in the running of his office, so if anyone is talking of credibility, they should be more explicit.
“The President is not being sandwiched by the BOT, because I have not seen the BOT crossing the boundary of their constitutional responsibility to that of the running of the day to day activities of the association, it still lies in the hands of NECOM which the President is the Chairman, so the BOT has not in anyway infringed on the constitutional powers of the President” Sulaiman maintained