Dr.Kayode Colin Farinto, ANLCA Vice president.
Story by Dili Utomi.
CRISIS IN THE ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA LICENSED CUSTOMS AGENTS, THE EXECUTIVE TAKES FIRM ACTION.
The on going crisis in the ranks of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) which lead to the attacks at the Secretariat of the Association last year by some hoodlums and also the physical attack on the president of the Association a few weeks ago is becoming more palpable by the day.
It will be recalled that the crisis started as some officers of the Association who were members of the board of trustees requested that the former chairman of the BOT, Mr. Henry Njoku stepped down as Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike was elected as the president of the Association.
The crises had degenerated to several court cases instituted by some aggrieved members of the Association lingering until the tenure of the last board expired in February 2020.
It should be noted that , both Mr. Taiwo Mustapha and Taye Oyeniyi are still hanging on as BOT Chairman and Secretary respectively.
The crisis has degenerated into factions with one loyal to the immediate past president Taiwo Mustapha and the other to the current president, Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike. We recall that the tenure of the last board led by Mr. Mustapha ended in February 2020, and that at the AGM of December 2020, a new board was elected which has Mr. Taiwo Afolabi as one of the members.
The former BOT though has a certificate of registration which they obtained about two weeks before the expiration of their tenure in February 2020, but which has also been nullified by the same CAC as the Secretary to ANLCA wrote them pointing out the fact of the expiration of their tenure.
The trouble continued with the October the 18th 2020 attack at the ANLCA national Secretariat and the subsequent arrest of some of the hoodlums who were part of the guests at the FESTAC police station and now the State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja. Again, some officials whose names were mentioned by some of the hoodlums as masterminds on the attacks have been arrested and some of them are Sir John Ofobike and Chief Taye Oyeniyi.
In a press briefing on the matter, the vice president of the Association, Dr. Kayode Colin Farinto disclosed that the ANLCA had to take the bold step of writing the Federal Government to intimate them about their dissatisfaction with way the port police was handling the the case which led to the transfer of the case of the attacks especially the one that happened at the Port Terminal Managers Limited, (PTML) terminal three weeks ago to the Federal Crime Investigation Department (FCID) Alagbon, Ikoyi, where the arrested ANLCA officials have been kept. He passed a vote of confidence on the AIG handling the case at Alagbon and said that he has so far proved to be a man of integrity as he pointed out that anyone who wants to go to equity must go with clean hands, he added that some other former officials have also been invited by the police to explain their roles in the attacks. He indicated that the new BOT has screened the candidates who contested for the various positions in the Western Zone and that the election has been conducted and officers sworn into offices.
Dr. Farinto speaking generally also commended the Nigerian Ports Authority for the introduction of the electronic call up system and advised that we give it time to work.
He also commended the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for the setting up of the anti-corruption unit as he said that the time it now takes for the berthing of ships and the rummaging has reduced because of the actions of the new unit.
He continued by asking members who have grievances to use the internal mechanisms within the Association such as the disciplinary committee and the panels to seek redress for any Injustice seemingly done against anyone.
Mr. Babatunde Abdullahi, ANLCA general secretary.
The Secretary of the Association, Mr. Babatunde Abdullahi in his submission added that the National Executive Committee as lead by Mr. Iju Tony Nwabunike has been exploring all peaceful and legal means of resolving the crisis.
