Emenike/ Oduntan’s victory: New dawn has come to ANLCA, says Shittu

Immediate past President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu has congratulated the newly elected President and Vice President of the association, Emenike Nwokeoji and Segun Oduntan respectively for their victory, saying a new dawn as come to ANLCA with their emergence.

Emenike, a former deputy National President of the association emerged the new President after acquiring a total of 33 votes, defeating his closest rival Dr. Kayode Farinto who polled 23 votes.

Oduntan, who is a former Chairman of the association at the Tin Can Island Port scored 66 votes to defeat his rival Dennis Okwu who polled 27 votes.

Other winners that emerged in the keenly contested election, which was held in Lagos on Thursday are Olumide Fakanlu as National Secretary, Hajia Bola Muse as National Treasurer while Emmanuel Onyeme emerged as National Publicity Secretary.

Femi Anifowoshe emerged as the Western Zone Coordinator while Idowu Owoade emerged unopposed as the Zonal Secretary, Western Zone. Mr. Joshua Ohuama and Mrs. Chinyere C. Okere emerged unopposed as Zonal Coordinator and Secretary, Eastern Zone while Alhaji Lameen Aliyu emerged unopposed as the Zonal Coordinator, Northern zone.

Speaking in a chat with Maritime Today Online, Prince Shittu, said with the emergence of the new executive to pilot the affairs of the association after its five years leadership crisis, ANLCA would no longer be seen as a weeping dog.

Describing the election as a step in the right direction, Shittu said, “It is a thing of joy and a new dawn for everyone to have come together to hold the election. I congratulate the winners and those who did not win are still part and parcel of the association because they still have much to do. With this election, ANLCA will no longer be a weeping dog. The election will strengthen us to understand the need for us to come and work together.”

Speaking with journalists shortly after the election, Emenike said his victory is for all ANLCA members.

According to him, “There is nothing like an opponent, we all are winners. We are going to work together to achieve our common goal. We all operate from the same port so the port serves all of us.

“If things are good, both those that are members of ANLCA and those that are not will benefit from it. By the time we are sworn in things are bound to change for good.

“This is not the first time we are having a President who is coming from the East. I am the second and the first one did not do badly. He took us to sit with the president of this country which is not easy.”

On his part, the newly elected Vice President, Oduntan, promised to work in line with the vision of the president to achieve the association’s goal.

He said, “We can see it was a keenly contested election for which for over five years plus the Association has been in crisis but today the family has come back. We are going to work together. There is no winner, no vanquished.

“I am the Vice President and I will work as directed. I would give advice and work on how we can improve the efficiency of the profession for the incoming practitioners so that we can put them on the right track.”

Speaking earlier at the event, the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT)  of the association,  Taiwo Mustapha, urged members of ANLCA to stand with the outcome of the election and work with the newly elected executives to achieve the much needed progress that the group dreams.

Chairman, Customs Consultative Committee (CCC), Hakeem Olanrewaju, called for the standardisation of freight forwarding practice through strengthening of institutions to aid the younger generation towards achieving their dreams of pursuing professional freight forwarding practice.

He spoke on the need for research and continuous learning and synergy with freight forwarders of other countries to meet up with best practices in the freight forwarding space.

He submitted that there is need for indigenous freight forwarders to step up to their responsibility in filling up the freight forwarding space with professionals stating that the infiltration of foreigners into the Nigerian freight forwarding space ought not to be.