ANLCA crisis enters another phase as court orders NECOM, BoT to set up interim executive

The leadership crisis besetting the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Wednesday, took a different turn as the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Lagos directed the Registered Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Executive Committee (NECOM) to set up an interim executive with a mandate to conduct fresh elections into the association.

With this development, there are strong indications that the court order may foiled the planned tenure elongation of the Tony Iju Nwabunike led NECOM.

The four-year tenure of the Tony Iju led NECOM is expected to end February 2022 following his election into office in 2018.

However, despite a court order restraining ANLCA national executives from parading themselves as executives of the association, the Tony Iju led NECOM had amended the association’s constitution and subsequently elongated its tenure from 4 to 5 years.

At the resumed hearing on the leadership crisis of the association on Wednesday, Justice Daniel Osiagor, decried the lingering crisis in the association, noting that the best way to resolve the feud after several failed attempts to settle out of court was for the Registered Board of Trustees (BoT) and the NECOM to nominate members from each faction to form an interim management that would conduct fresh election into the association.

“All of you should combine and form interim exco and conduct election. I think this is the best bet, both sides should bring representations, between six of them, they can nominate their chairman or President who would now conduct the needed elections.

“I repeat, it is better to set an interim government that would carry out an election,” he said.

Earlier, Counsel to the Registered BoT, Olu Daramola informed the judge that following the court’s last sitting in December 2021 which was adjourned to enable both parties agree on terms for out of court settlement, the NECOM and its counsel have been employing delaying tactics.

According to him, Tony Iju and his executives misled the court into thinking that they want out of court settlement.

Daramola stated that it was obvious that counsel to the NECOM was being controlled by his clients, hence he cannot control or give proper direction on the case.

“I regret to inform the court that both parties were unable to meet because the defendant appear to have misled us to thinking that they wanted settlement in this matter.

“Immediately after the seating at the last adjourned date, despite the fact that the defendants were represented, I wrote a letter to the Counsel to the defendant, asking them to let us know when we can meet.

“But as a I speak; we have not gotten any reasonable response from them. Even when they replied the letter, we could not meet so we then decided that we should communicate our demands and decisions to them in writing, while they too communicate that of their clients to us. But that never happened.

“On the contrary, they went ahead to do the things they were restrained by this court not to do. As early as this year, they set up an electoral committee conducted elections.

“When we filed an application before the court itemizing the infractions they have done in breach of the order of this court, their response was that the order made by this court has expired and because of that they are free to do what they are doing. They even went ahead to extend their tenure by another one year,” he said.

Also speaking, Barr Yakubu Oladimeji who appeared for the 1^st, 25th to 30th defendants corroborated the registered BOT Counsel, saying that all efforts made at settlement out of court has consistently failed.

In his response, Counsel to NECOM, Barr Romeo Ese Michael denied knowledge of Tony Iju NECOM tenure elongation and any elections conducted.

He, however acknowledged that the NECOM has received the terms of settlement sent by the BOT last week and that they have responded with their own demands.

He pleaded with the court for a one- month adjournment for him to further engage Counsel to the Registered BOT with a view to having the matter resolved out of court.

He said, “We got the letter from the learned Silk, with an attached letter from the plaintiffs (BOT) proposing terms of settlement. We filed it to our clients (NECOM) and they have responded to us, we got it late, around last week. We are hoping to do a letter attaching our client’s proposal back to them.

“There is hope for settlement. I have always said that this case is best resolved between the parties rather than the court coming into the matter.

“My lord, I want to ask for one month adjournment since we have two learned Silk on this matter, they are all gentlemen, the two learned silk should work on their clients.  After this court today, I would meet with the great Silk here to see the modalities with which this can be achieved,” he said.

Barr Yakubu Oladimeji who appeared for the 1st defendant and 25th to 30th defendant corroborated the registered BOT Counsel, saying that all efforts made at settlement out of court has consistently failed.

Justice Osiagor consequently adjourned the matter to April 26^th, 2022 for the report of settlement.