ANLCA registered BoT take over as police seal off national secretariat

 … sets up seven-man committee to run affairs of association 

The Registered Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has taken over possession of the association’s national secretariat located at Amuwo Odofin, Lagos in a move to end the flagrant disregard of court orders by the Tony Iju Nwabunike led National Executive Committee (NECOM).

The takeover of the secretariat was the climax of the leadership crisis that has engulfed the association in the last three years.

The BoT took over the secretariat under the close watch of a combined team of policemen from the office of the Inspector General of Police, (IGP), AIG Zone 2 and Area E command in Festac who sealed off the premises to prevent authorized persons from gaining access.

Consequently, the BoT has constituted a seven- man committee headed by leader of the ANLCA Western Zone, Sir John Ofobike to run the affairs of the association with immediate effect.

Other members of the committee are Segun Oduntan, Barrister Ada Apunonu, Joe Sanni, Alh Sanni from Kano Chapter and Chief Obi Chima from Onne Chapter.

Recall that on August 26, 2020, Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had issued a court order restraining all the National Executive Committee (NECOM) members from parading themselves as officers of the association. However, the Tony Iju led NECOM has flagrantly disobeyed the order and perpetuated itself in office.

The Tony Iju led NECOM, despite the court order had not only conducted elections in some chapters of the association but had also purportedly amended the ANLCA’s constitution and subsequently extended its tenure which is expected to end February 2022 to 2023.

Addressing journalists at the national secretariat in Lagos on Wednesday, Chairman, Registered BoT of ANLCA, Alh. Taiwo Mustafa accompanied by the Secretary of the board, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, said the development became necessary following the unacceptable disregard for court orders by the Tony Iju led NECOM, whom he accused of holding court orders in contempt.

He said the takeover of the secretariat will end the high level of impunity by the suspended national officers with the recent being the invasion of the Seme Chapter of the association as the national secretariat will remain under lock and key.

Mustapha said whereas the BoT has initiated several peace moves to end the leadership crisis in the association, the suspended NECOM has continued to frustrate the efforts by violating several court orders, hence its decision to work with police to bring an end to their reign of impunity.

 

“The BoT has constitutionally taken over the day to day running of the association from today until further notice. However, we are going to put in place a seven- man committee that would be running the association on a daily basis and the committee will be headed by John Ofobike.

“In the next two weeks, our goal is to keep this place locked to avoid any blood bath while we are waiting to see if there will be any opening of reconciliation from the other party. Then if that does not happen, then we have the constitutional right to now put in place the interim government properly to start working from the secretariat.

“You are aware of the crisis we have been having in the last three years and it is unfortunate that up till now, we couldn’t really reach a compromise within ourselves. I personally have tried to bring peace back to ANLCA. I have spoken severally with Tony Iju, Henry Njoku, Kayode Farinto and even to Mukaila Abdullazees all to no avail. The climax of the whole thing was when they invaded Seme recently and I look at it that we cannot continue like this.

“Despite the fact that they came up in their usual idiotic manner to say they have expelled five of us from the association, I kept my cool for some months to see if somebody among them will be reasonable enough to call for peace but rather than doing that, they kept violating the law and I looked at it that I personally will not wait until somebody’s head is cut before I react and that is why we had to do this mobilisation.

“This will be the end. It is either we come together to sit and agree within ourselves or nobody will ever have peace within the secretariat again. Our members are determined. I have tried enough to press them down but I can no longer press anybody down at this stage,” he said.

Asked if the development has anything to do with the tenure expiration of the Tony Iju led NECOM, Mustapha explained that the association does not have a NECOM presently as the court order which suspended Tony Iju and his executives from office still subsist.

The BoT Chair maintained that the suspended NECOM must account for monies and collections made so far as they have been operating illegally.

“When we say tenure expiration, do they (NECOM) have any tenure initially. There was no tenure. They were only operating illegally because the court order that suspended them from the office is still there. So, the issue of going to Owerri to do constitutional changes and extending their tenure for another one year is their own headache.

“In the last three years, who has been accounting for what comes to the national purse? What have they done with it? There are a lot of things that have gone wrong and we have kept our cool thinking that one day we will be able to talk within ourselves. But it is unfortunate that I had so much hope in the person of Iju because I have always seen him as my personal friend and I kept pressing everybody to give him the necessary cooperation but rather than having the same reaction from him, it is getting worse.

“So, we have taken this step today not because anybody wants to break the law but because we have to hold the hand of the oppressors. Our members are the oppressed. They’ve been oppressed for three years and I kept pressing them down by keeping quiet but here we are, the oppressors have refused to stop the oppression.

“My ultimate goal is to see peace back in ANLCA because I still see them as brothers and sisters but where they decide to behave otherwise, we can’t continue to accommodate any animalistic tendency in the association,” he said.

Mustapha, while thanking members of the association for their support, urged them to remain peaceful and law- abiding. He also ruled out plan for election in the meantime saying the interest of the board is to resolve the crisis in the association.

Also speaking, leader of the seven- man committee, John Ofobike, while thanking the BoT for finding him worthy to head the committee expressed his readiness to work for the progress and growth of the association.

He said,

“Anywhere ANLCA places me to work for the growth of the association, I will continue to do that. The registered BoT in their own wisdom has chosen me to be part of the people that will bring peace and progress to ANLCA, so, I am willing to work and happy to accept the position.”

Ofobike also commended the police for maintaining peace and ensuring that there is no breakdown of law and order.

He, however, urged the police to ensure and sustain a 24/7 security surveillance of the secretariat to prevent unauthorised persons from gaining access.

“I want to thank the police for calming everybody down and making sure the property is safe. With the situation of things today, ANLCA cannot buy this property again. It is a gift to us through Dikko and Olayiwola Shittu, so we will not allow anything that will destroy this property which is our common heritage. So, we are asking the police to sustain the lock up,” he said.

Task Force Chairman, Tin Can Island Port Chapter, Rilwan Amuni said the takeover is long overdue.

He said if they allow members of the suspended NECOM to continue to occupy the secretariat it will make them believe they have the legitimate right to be there.

According to him, the constitution says when there is a crisis, the BoT takes over ‘and that is what you are seeing here today’.