ANLCA Crisis: I Swear with Holy Quran, I Have Never Worked Against Nwabunike after Election, Says Shittu
*Advises Nwabunike to consult elders one on one
*As ANLCA President, I visited Taiye Oyeniyi in his house at 5am to have peace
By Francis Ugwoke
As the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) continues to suffer crisis, the former President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, has said he has no hands in the current logjam facing the customs agents group.
Shittu swore with the Holy Quran that contrary to beliefs in some quarters, he has never worked against the current President of the association, Iju Tony Nwabunike, after his election over two years ago.
The former ANLCA President in an interview with SHIPPING DAY said though he did not support Nwabunike during the election, the whole issue ended after he emerged the winner of the election.
He also said that it was not true that as the immediate former President of ANLCA, he was in a position to influence some chapter chairmen in the Western Zone to begin to work peacefully with Nwabunike.
He added that he faced similar issues on emerging as the former President, but had to look for ways to address the crisis.
In one instance, Shittu said he had to identify some of the warriors in the association and sought peace with them.
He identified Prince Taiye Oyeniyi and the current Vice President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto, as one of the warriors, and said he had to visit Oyeniyi in his house as early as 5am to make peace.
He urged Nwabunike to go all out and meet the warriors in the crisis one on one as veritable option to resolve the crisis.
Shittu also blamed the ANLCA President of supporting some of the board members in the crisis against his (Shittu) advice, adding that with that, he has put himself in a difficult situation in the camp of the other group.
Excerpts:
SHIPPING DAY: The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has suffered one crisis after another which is yet to abate, many believe that the elders in the association have not done enough in addressing this problem, what is your view on this? What do you think is the way forward for the association to achieve a lasting peace?
Shittu: I don’t know why everybody is asking me this question.
SHIPPING DAY: It is because of your position as one of the elders in ANLCA.
Shittu: But I am not the only elder in ANLCA. The fact that I was the former President, I was not the only former President. You need to be asking yourself why are the other former Presidents not talking. I am just letting you know, because Rafiu Ladipo, went to the Secretariat (ANLCA), made some promises about resolving the issue and the thing fizzled out, there must be a reason. So, why are they trying to use my own head to break coconut? Would you believe that I am in talking terms with the President, we are meeting, would you believe?
SHIPPING DAY: Yes now, I know there was a time I met two of you at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja and nothing to show there is any issue.
Shittu: Not even the Abuja own. That is Abuja own now … if that function did not hold, somebody would say maybe they would not have met.
I am talking about me and him meeting one on one. He gave me dinner. He sat on the chair twice (points to a chair in front of him in his office). We met in the board room. Were we just looking at each other’s face?
SHIPPING DAY: In other words you are saying that two of you are doing something to resolve the problem in ANLCA?
Shittu: No, I give my own free will advice, that if I were in your shoe (referring to Nwabunike), this is what I would do. And if I suggest it is not done, it is not compulsory you must take my advice. You know that am looking at it from my own point of view, he may have his own reason or some other considerations. Some he did and I know it played out for him. But now turning round that I am the one not doing what I am supposed to do. I have done what I am supposed to do. I don’t know what I am supposed to do, I don’t have to carry the chair and sit down in the Secretariat and say I am now here, is that what Jonathan is doing with Buhari. Is not the advice, and I have told him I will not criticise him outside, I don’t do that.
SHIPPING DAY: There was a Peace Committee set up by ANLCA early this year….
Shittu: (Cuts in) That is part of my advice, they came here, we sat down in that board room (his office) headed by Aliyu. I don’t have any candidate here. But it was one of the things I told him. Let me even step back a little. When the crisis of the board was going on, I told him, you know you are the President, don’t let them squeeze you in, the issue of board is very simple, the constitution can take care of the board. Don’t get involved. Out of his own, he just announced one day through his SA that it is Henry Njoku’s group he recognises. You know with that you have taken side. Having declared that one, it will be difficult for you to call any of the other people to come, they will say, we know your mind. This is part of the words we speak to ourselves. I said okay, Peace Committee is good, you can set it up. He suggested Aliyu from the North, I said that man is a gentleman, he is ready to do the work, it is okay. So, they were talking about what do we do. I can tell you honestly, I thought on that. I made a suggestion to them, you know the NECOM went to Abuja for a NECO meeting, where it was decided that some chapter executives that were not at the meeting because they said they will not come must be sacked. After that meeting, you told the chairmen, you are no longer sacked, go to work. Do you know the step you can take, have a meeting with those chairmen. I said Tony, you need to cough out some money because that is what I used to do, give them dinner or lunch, tell them you want to work together. Your position is not threatened, because they were elected and along the line some other elections were due for them In the West and people paid for forms and that election could not hold. I am just telling you, because if I pretend that l don’t know, I will not be doing you good. I said when you call these people and say gentlemen, I want you to be part of the Transition Committee, let us conduct election together, but I give you six months, as at the time I gave that advice six months is gone. He refused to because there is no sign that such a meeting took place. I just gave them that idea here and the Committee said that it is a very good one, we need to go and see the President if we can do that one. Once they are part of it, they will accept it and that is the end of the matter. The new story I now heard was that after I gave that advice, beautiful, that I am the one who went behind to tell the chairmen not to agree. What is my relationship with the chairmen?. Am not in the office. People don’t understand that when you are no longer in office, you are not relevant, you call any of the chairmen, he will not come. If he respects me, he will say when I find time, I will come. So, why are you using that as stories to tell people that if Shittu is ready to solve that problem, he will solve it. Which problem, created by me?. It is not fair, If you have goodwill, you have clean heart, you know what you are doing is the right thing… Let me tell you, what do they want me to do, because I was former President of ANLCA, does that mean I can instruct elders of Yoruba land. You know in Yoruba land, no matter your word, nobody cares. So there is no way I can call them and say come here, if l call Taiye Oyeniyi, and say Taiye, I want to talk to you on behalf of Tony, the first thing he will say, are you Tony? And I mentioned to Tony, you are at a crossroad as President, both the people who voted for you and those who did not vote for you, you are the President of everybody oo! Tell your people who voted for you to give you chance. When you bring the other people in, those people you already have, you don’t have problem.
All these court cases, when I came into office, we met seven and there was no money to pay. We did not have money to pay for filing. I was paying it, ask Barr Osonwa because I made our him legal adviser. They even quarreled with me why should I use a serving agent as a legal adviser. This was even when the man was 25 years at the Bar. Why should I go and pay money to outsider. Even if l had to pay money, our constitution says that when a member does official job for you, you should pay him. So do you understand my point now. So, God Almighty is my witness. (picks up Holy Koran, raises it up, puts it on his head), and said, “I have never told anybody to do anything against Tony Iju. Yes! People told me then, who do I think will do the work after I have left, I looked at Tony when he was National Secretary and my Vice President, Emenike, two of them are Igbos, not that one is Yoruba and one is Igbo. Because Tony has been away from the Association too, that is why I queued up behind Emenike. As election was conducted, and when, Emenike got up and hugged Tony, for me it is all over. So even if Emenike is not showing up, because people think I can perform magic, I can’t order Emenike. One day when me and Tony were together because we talk a lot, until now, that I think it is for my own peace of mind too… One day, that was 8 months after the election, I said Tony, have you called Emenike, you know you defeated him, he said no, I said why, I said but you defeated some people during the primary of your political aspiration, didn’t you go to the man, your opponent, he said even refunding the money the man spent that he did. I said in an association, if you defeat an opponent, find a way to call him, that is what happened to me, so that you can have peace. I think they got talking then – what transpired between them, God Almighty I don’t know.
That is how I felt I need to make peace. Francis, (calling the interviewer), I have tried to make the peace, it is gone beyond me. I did not go to court, I can’t. Njoku (Henry) was saying, if I call Mustapha now, …me? You think I don’t know how they think it is easy for me to say, oya you people, don’t go away. What authority do I have. I can only appeal, talk to them. When I came into the office, Taiye Oyeniyi was one of the warriors, even Farinto was one of my warriors. But I found way around them. I was in Taiye Oyeniyi’s house 5am in the morning to go and meet him so that I can have peace.
..More to follow in an explosive interview with SHIPPING DAY ..
*As ANLCA President, I visited Taiye Oyeniyi in his house at 5am to have peace
By Francis Ugwoke
As the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) continues to suffer crisis, the former President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, has said he has no hands in the current logjam facing the customs agents group.
Shittu swore with the Holy Quran that contrary to beliefs in some quarters, he has never worked against the current President of the association, Iju Tony Nwabunike, after his election over two years ago.
The former ANLCA President in an interview with SHIPPING DAY said though he did not support Nwabunike during the election, the whole issue ended after he emerged the winner of the election.
He also said that it was not true that as the immediate former President of ANLCA, he was in a position to influence some chapter chairmen in the Western Zone to begin to work peacefully with Nwabunike.
He added that he faced similar issues on emerging as the former President, but had to look for ways to address the crisis.
In one instance, Shittu said he had to identify some of the warriors in the association and sought peace with them.
He identified Prince Taiye Oyeniyi and the current Vice President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto, as one of the warriors, and said he had to visit Oyeniyi in his house as early as 5am to make peace.
He urged Nwabunike to go all out and meet the warriors in the crisis one on one as veritable option to resolve the crisis.
Shittu also blamed the ANLCA President of supporting some of the board members in the crisis against his (Shittu) advice, adding that with that, he has put himself in a difficult situation in the camp of the other group.
Excerpts:
SHIPPING DAY: The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has suffered one crisis after another which is yet to abate, many believe that the elders in the association have not done enough in addressing this problem, what is your view on this? What do you think is the way forward for the association to achieve a lasting peace?
Shittu: I don’t know why everybody is asking me this question.
SHIPPING DAY: It is because of your position as one of the elders in ANLCA.
Shittu: But I am not the only elder in ANLCA. The fact that I was the former President, I was not the only former President. You need to be asking yourself why are the other former Presidents not talking. I am just letting you know, because Rafiu Ladipo, went to the Secretariat (ANLCA), made some promises about resolving the issue and the thing fizzled out, there must be a reason. So, why are they trying to use my own head to break coconut? Would you believe that I am in talking terms with the President, we are meeting, would you believe?
SHIPPING DAY: Yes now, I know there was a time I met two of you at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja and nothing to show there is any issue.
Shittu: Not even the Abuja own. That is Abuja own now … if that function did not hold, somebody would say maybe they would not have met.
I am talking about me and him meeting one on one. He gave me dinner. He sat on the chair twice (points to a chair in front of him in his office). We met in the board room. Were we just looking at each other’s face?
SHIPPING DAY: In other words you are saying that two of you are doing something to resolve the problem in ANLCA?
Shittu: No, I give my own free will advice, that if I were in your shoe (referring to Nwabunike), this is what I would do. And if I suggest it is not done, it is not compulsory you must take my advice. You know that am looking at it from my own point of view, he may have his own reason or some other considerations. Some he did and I know it played out for him. But now turning round that I am the one not doing what I am supposed to do. I have done what I am supposed to do. I don’t know what I am supposed to do, I don’t have to carry the chair and sit down in the Secretariat and say I am now here, is that what Jonathan is doing with Buhari. Is not the advice, and I have told him I will not criticise him outside, I don’t do that.
SHIPPING DAY: There was a Peace Committee set up by ANLCA early this year….
Shittu: (Cuts in) That is part of my advice, they came here, we sat down in that board room (his office) headed by Aliyu. I don’t have any candidate here. But it was one of the things I told him. Let me even step back a little. When the crisis of the board was going on, I told him, you know you are the President, don’t let them squeeze you in, the issue of board is very simple, the constitution can take care of the board. Don’t get involved. Out of his own, he just announced one day through his SA that it is Henry Njoku’s group he recognises. You know with that you have taken side. Having declared that one, it will be difficult for you to call any of the other people to come, they will say, we know your mind. This is part of the words we speak to ourselves. I said okay, Peace Committee is good, you can set it up. He suggested Aliyu from the North, I said that man is a gentleman, he is ready to do the work, it is okay. So, they were talking about what do we do. I can tell you honestly, I thought on that. I made a suggestion to them, you know the NECOM went to Abuja for a NECO meeting, where it was decided that some chapter executives that were not at the meeting because they said they will not come must be sacked. After that meeting, you told the chairmen, you are no longer sacked, go to work. Do you know the step you can take, have a meeting with those chairmen. I said Tony, you need to cough out some money because that is what I used to do, give them dinner or lunch, tell them you want to work together. Your position is not threatened, because they were elected and along the line some other elections were due for them In the West and people paid for forms and that election could not hold. I am just telling you, because if I pretend that l don’t know, I will not be doing you good. I said when you call these people and say gentlemen, I want you to be part of the Transition Committee, let us conduct election together, but I give you six months, as at the time I gave that advice six months is gone. He refused to because there is no sign that such a meeting took place. I just gave them that idea here and the Committee said that it is a very good one, we need to go and see the President if we can do that one. Once they are part of it, they will accept it and that is the end of the matter. The new story I now heard was that after I gave that advice, beautiful, that I am the one who went behind to tell the chairmen not to agree. What is my relationship with the chairmen?. Am not in the office. People don’t understand that when you are no longer in office, you are not relevant, you call any of the chairmen, he will not come. If he respects me, he will say when I find time, I will come. So, why are you using that as stories to tell people that if Shittu is ready to solve that problem, he will solve it. Which problem, created by me?. It is not fair, If you have goodwill, you have clean heart, you know what you are doing is the right thing… Let me tell you, what do they want me to do, because I was former President of ANLCA, does that mean I can instruct elders of Yoruba land. You know in Yoruba land, no matter your word, nobody cares. So there is no way I can call them and say come here, if l call Taiye Oyeniyi, and say Taiye, I want to talk to you on behalf of Tony, the first thing he will say, are you Tony? And I mentioned to Tony, you are at a crossroad as President, both the people who voted for you and those who did not vote for you, you are the President of everybody oo! Tell your people who voted for you to give you chance. When you bring the other people in, those people you already have, you don’t have problem.
All these court cases, when I came into office, we met seven and there was no money to pay. We did not have money to pay for filing. I was paying it, ask Barr Osonwa because I made our him legal adviser. They even quarreled with me why should I use a serving agent as a legal adviser. This was even when the man was 25 years at the Bar. Why should I go and pay money to outsider. Even if l had to pay money, our constitution says that when a member does official job for you, you should pay him. So do you understand my point now. So, God Almighty is my witness. (picks up Holy Koran, raises it up, puts it on his head), and said, “I have never told anybody to do anything against Tony Iju. Yes! People told me then, who do I think will do the work after I have left, I looked at Tony when he was National Secretary and my Vice President, Emenike, two of them are Igbos, not that one is Yoruba and one is Igbo. Because Tony has been away from the Association too, that is why I queued up behind Emenike. As election was conducted, and when, Emenike got up and hugged Tony, for me it is all over. So even if Emenike is not showing up, because people think I can perform magic, I can’t order Emenike. One day when me and Tony were together because we talk a lot, until now, that I think it is for my own peace of mind too… One day, that was 8 months after the election, I said Tony, have you called Emenike, you know you defeated him, he said no, I said why, I said but you defeated some people during the primary of your political aspiration, didn’t you go to the man, your opponent, he said even refunding the money the man spent that he did. I said in an association, if you defeat an opponent, find a way to call him, that is what happened to me, so that you can have peace. I think they got talking then – what transpired between them, God Almighty I don’t know.
That is how I felt I need to make peace. Francis, (calling the interviewer), I have tried to make the peace, it is gone beyond me. I did not go to court, I can’t. Njoku (Henry) was saying, if I call Mustapha now, …me? You think I don’t know how they think it is easy for me to say, oya you people, don’t go away. What authority do I have. I can only appeal, talk to them. When I came into the office, Taiye Oyeniyi was one of the warriors, even Farinto was one of my warriors. But I found way around them. I was in Taiye Oyeniyi’s house 5am in the morning to go and meet him so that I can have peace.
..More to follow in an explosive interview with SHIPPING DAY ..
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