All hands must be on deck to put ANLCA back on track- Emenike charges NECOM, appointed officials at retreat

...As Shittu, Elochukwu, Peter Obi, Oyeniyi preach unity, collaboration

The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Chief Emenike Nwokeoji has charged new members of the National Executive Committee (NECOM) and appointed officials to contribute in the drive to put the association back on track to regain its lost glory.

Speaking on Thursday at a one-day retreat organised for newly elected NECOM members and appointed officials of the association, Emenike said all hands must be deck to achieve the desired objectives of the association.

The retreat, which attracted top chieftains of the association including two former Presidents; Prince Olayiwola Shittu, Sir Earnest Elochukwu, Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, two of its Patrons, Chief Peter Obi and Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, among several others, Emenike said is to guide the NECOM members on their responsibilities and prepare them for the tasks ahead.

“Your position is a call to service. The job in ANLCA is one that demands that all hands must be on deck for us to achieve our desired objectives.

“Sometimes when you appoint people from the National, they assume some powers more than what the Constitution allows them. So this retreat is to let them know that there are hierarchies in the course of executing their assignment.

“Our expectation is that we want to maintain presence in every aspect of this job, shipping companies, terminal operators, customs and other security agencies even when a container is on the road.

“We are not appointing these officials to go and be overlords, they are not going into the ports to line their pockets or lord things over the customs, they are to complement efforts of the chapters and give us reports,” he said.

While addressing the members, former ANLCA President, Sir Ernest Elochukwu, charged them to avoid creating caucuses within ANLCA.

According to him, success can be achieved if there is deliberate effort by all to succeed rather than compete.

Elochukwu said with the elections over, the NECOM and appointees should preach unity among members, saying there is no victor no vanquish but for all to ensure that the newly found peace in the association is allowed to thrive.

He also warned appointed officials not to see their position as a replacement or alternative to that of elected officials.

Speaking, he said, “The appointees and elected officials must preach the gospel of unity and make ANLCA the focal point for interaction in cargo clearance business.

“ANLCA is the only association in the maritime industry, any other one is a personal venture, this is why ANLCA would always survive any situation. If the association can survive the last five years crisis, it can survive every other thing.”

Sir Elochukwu commended President Emenike on the appointment of officials, saying that the appointment cuts across board.

This, according to him, is an indication that the President is working for the unification of the association.

“The story of the election has come and gone. For me, a new dawn is here in ANLCA and we have seen it from the action of the President that he is working for the unification of ANLCA. We all have a role to play to convince those outside there that ANLCA should be built as one and it is in our own best interest for ANLCA to be one,” he said.

Also speaking, ANLCA Patron, Chief Peter Obi said ANLCA is back to take its rightful position as the umbrella body of customs agents in Nigeria just as he charged the new NECOM to foster collaboration and unity among members.

“Every other thing people are doing outside there is not an association. Everybody has to queue up under ANLCA.

“My message to all our members is that we need cooperation, we have a very good President, a gentleman, he needs our cooperation to succeed. The job is not a bed of roses, we have destroyed ANLCA for five years and it would take us time to rebuild it, this is why we need cooperation from everybody. All hands must be on deck and members must come together to make ANLCA what it used to be to reclaim our past glory. We cannot make a headway if we feel some are losers. So there is no victor no vanquish.

“I have paid my dues in ANLCA and I have the interest of the association at heart. Right now, our members are suffering because of ANLCA and this association is the only umbrella covering everyone going into the port to do any kind of work called freight forwarding,” he said.

Peter Obi urged the NECOM and appointed officials to embrace members who are still aggrieved.

“It is you people that would call those outside for them to come back, those people you think you have defeated, the way you approach them or talk to them would bring them back. Let us be talking about peace and how to unite this association,” he said.

Another Patron of the association, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, said, “I thank God today that there is peace in the association and I have assured the President that anytime he needs people like us, we would oblige him, whatever he wants us to do in taking ANLCA to the next level, we are ready to do it. We must all believe that we are all winners and no losers, the President must bring everyone outside back into the association, everyone of us equally have a role to play,”

Former President, Prince Olayiwola, who delivered the main lecture at the retreat educated the officials on their constitutional roles, functions and expectations from them.