ANLCA & Crisis: One Association, Two Ag. Presidents, Two Congratulatory Messages – Matters Arising
NWABUNIKE
By Francis Ugwoke
The crisis in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is day by day taking a new dimension despite the claims of the search for peace by the two factional leaders of the body. To observers what has become of the ANLCA is indeed an amazing story. It is not news that the association has for months now had two Ag. Presidents. The scenario unfolded after the President, Iju Tony Nwabunike successfully and tactically eased himself from the traditional burden of the association. Nwabunike is currently in the United States pursuing an academic programme. His decision to take a sabbatical leave has been interpreted differently. Some say, he simply eloped in view of the unending crisis in the body in which protagonists appear to have become diabolical and deadly too, so it is alleged. Yet, those close to Iju say the President whose tenure ends soonest was simply pursuing a career that is dear to him and the ANLCA leadership could not have been an obstacle. He was supposed to have returned to base late last year. But he could not. He is expected any moment from now. However, the association he left behind is boiling. Nwabunike would probably return to formally hand over to the next President, perhaps Dr. Kayode Farinto, who has remained his loyalist and also the Vice President. Sources said that Nwabunike from the day he left for the US had lost interest in being the President of the association. But for political reasons, he decided to stand his ground to defend the position till the tenure is over. He had been under intense pressure from family members, business associates, aides and friends to forget about ANLCA considering the kind of crudeness exhibited by leading characters in the imbroglio.
Farinto who has been in charge since Nwabunike went on study leave has demonstrated a lot of strength. Yet, it has not been easy considering that the opposition led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha is formidable. Mustapha has been laying claim to the leadership of the Board of the Association as against the position of the other group who believe that the authentic Chairman is Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, the owner of Sifax Group. The two groups are in court amidst reconciliatory efforts. Every now and then, one move by one side contradicts the peace initiative. This is not surprising since the peace initiative itself according to observers is probably not coming from the heart of the leaders. The reconciliatory talk is being spearheaded by the Nigeria Police Force. The crack on the peace talk was noticed recently when the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) promoted many officers.
Farinto who is on the side of Nwabunike and VP of ANLCA congratulated the Customs Controllers as Acting President. This was followed by the Acting President on the side of Mustapha, Pius Ujubuonu whose emergence was through appointment . To observers, it was absurd for the congratulatory messages for the Customs Controllers coming from two Acting Presidents. It portrays the association in bad light.
Before the two messages to the Customs Controllers, the two factions had met in Lagos. On the first day, Chief Henry Njoku, Kayode Farinto and Alhaji Mukaila Abdulazeez were absent in the meeting of January 12. But on the second day, January 13, the situation improved. Kayode Farinto, Mukaila Abdulazeez, Ozo Chukwurah, Eniola Igbaroola all attended. Similarly, Pius Ujubuonu as Ag. President on the other side, Chief Dennis Okafor , Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, Chief Ernest Elochukwu attended. Elochukwu was said to have sponsored the meeting at a Hotel. This second meeting was on the request of the Festac Police who advised the elders in the association to do everything to resolve the crisis.
The outcome of the January 13 was an agreement to determine which Board of Trustees (BOT) should supervise the next election based on the progress made to hold an election as part of the peace moves. The meeting also agreed that both parties have to sponsor the Police’s logistics to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on proposed search about the authentic registered BOT, according to Mr Joe Sanni, one of the aggrieved members of the association. Sanni had in his report claimed that “ unfortunately, KayodeFarinto, Ozo Chukwurah, Eniola Igbaroola and Mukaila Abdulazeez never bothered about the proposed search by the Police at Abuja, because they know the truth about the authentic registered BOT, which status report was checked again on the 23/1/2023 and still shows the AlhajiTaiwo Mustapha-led BOT as the only Board in existence in ANLCA”.
But while Sanni was busy issuing statement about the peace moves in the second week of January, Farinto who sees himself as the authentic Ag. President had organised his group to hold an Annual General Meeting in Edo State. This was a shock to the other group who appeared not to have been carried along. Farinto later explained that the event is a NECOM meeting which comes up this week. When under criticism by the Mustapha group, the venue of the meeting was changed to Lagos. It is to be held in the Hotel owned by one of the board members of his group. Sources told Shipping Day that while the so much sort-after peace is yet to be achieved by all the parties, Farinto, through the NECOM meeting is preparing soft ground for his presidential ambition as Nwabunike’s tenures nears an end. He is said to be interested in succeeding Nwabunike who is equally comfortable with this arrangement.
Observers are beginning to see ANLCA as nearly degenerating to the level of the National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Agents (NCMDCA) which currently appears to have two Presidents. One of the Presidents is Mr Lucky Amiwero who insists he is the National President. There is also another Interim President, Prince Obi Eze who was reported to have passed on recently. Late Eze is said to enjoy the sympathy of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF). It would be recalled that NAGAFF had offered to sponsor Mr Festus Ukwu for the CRFFN Governing Board election. Though this was not formal. Ukwu claims to be the Interim Secretary of NCMDCA.
Yet the other side attraction of the ANLCA catastrophe is that the former President of the body, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, recently intervened and succeeded in reconciling warring members of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA). Shittu led a Committee which was inaugurated to reconcile the aggrieved members in October last year. By the second week of January of this year , he had succeeded in reconciling the aggrieved members. Pleased with this development, members of NISA took a decision to retain Shittu’s Committee for “continuous reconciliation activities”. The target of NISA is to also reconcile with members of the Ship-Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) which is another shipowners’ association. Other members of the Reconciliation Committee were identified as Edmund Martins, Akin Akinyemi, Engr Emmanuel Ilori; Engr Adewale Ishola and Bar. Paul Omolodun. Based on the development, some customs agents and observers have called on Shittu to also adopt the same strategy in reconciling warring members of ANLCA where he spent 8years as President. Shittu had told SHIPPING DAY that he had in the past done his best in this regard. But many believe that Shittu could do more to achieve the kind of result now prevalent in NISA.
The crisis in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is day by day taking a new dimension despite the claims of the search for peace by the two factional leaders of the body. To observers what has become of the ANLCA is indeed an amazing story. It is not news that the association has for months now had two Ag. Presidents. The scenario unfolded after the President, Iju Tony Nwabunike successfully and tactically eased himself from the traditional burden of the association. Nwabunike is currently in the United States pursuing an academic programme. His decision to take a sabbatical leave has been interpreted differently. Some say, he simply eloped in view of the unending crisis in the body in which protagonists appear to have become diabolical and deadly too, so it is alleged. Yet, those close to Iju say the President whose tenure ends soonest was simply pursuing a career that is dear to him and the ANLCA leadership could not have been an obstacle. He was supposed to have returned to base late last year. But he could not. He is expected any moment from now. However, the association he left behind is boiling. Nwabunike would probably return to formally hand over to the next President, perhaps Dr. Kayode Farinto, who has remained his loyalist and also the Vice President. Sources said that Nwabunike from the day he left for the US had lost interest in being the President of the association. But for political reasons, he decided to stand his ground to defend the position till the tenure is over. He had been under intense pressure from family members, business associates, aides and friends to forget about ANLCA considering the kind of crudeness exhibited by leading characters in the imbroglio.
Farinto who has been in charge since Nwabunike went on study leave has demonstrated a lot of strength. Yet, it has not been easy considering that the opposition led by Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha is formidable. Mustapha has been laying claim to the leadership of the Board of the Association as against the position of the other group who believe that the authentic Chairman is Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, the owner of Sifax Group. The two groups are in court amidst reconciliatory efforts. Every now and then, one move by one side contradicts the peace initiative. This is not surprising since the peace initiative itself according to observers is probably not coming from the heart of the leaders. The reconciliatory talk is being spearheaded by the Nigeria Police Force. The crack on the peace talk was noticed recently when the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) promoted many officers.
Farinto who is on the side of Nwabunike and VP of ANLCA congratulated the Customs Controllers as Acting President. This was followed by the Acting President on the side of Mustapha, Pius Ujubuonu whose emergence was through appointment . To observers, it was absurd for the congratulatory messages for the Customs Controllers coming from two Acting Presidents. It portrays the association in bad light.
Before the two messages to the Customs Controllers, the two factions had met in Lagos. On the first day, Chief Henry Njoku, Kayode Farinto and Alhaji Mukaila Abdulazeez were absent in the meeting of January 12. But on the second day, January 13, the situation improved. Kayode Farinto, Mukaila Abdulazeez, Ozo Chukwurah, Eniola Igbaroola all attended. Similarly, Pius Ujubuonu as Ag. President on the other side, Chief Dennis Okafor , Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, Chief Ernest Elochukwu attended. Elochukwu was said to have sponsored the meeting at a Hotel. This second meeting was on the request of the Festac Police who advised the elders in the association to do everything to resolve the crisis.
The outcome of the January 13 was an agreement to determine which Board of Trustees (BOT) should supervise the next election based on the progress made to hold an election as part of the peace moves. The meeting also agreed that both parties have to sponsor the Police’s logistics to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on proposed search about the authentic registered BOT, according to Mr Joe Sanni, one of the aggrieved members of the association. Sanni had in his report claimed that “ unfortunately, KayodeFarinto, Ozo Chukwurah, Eniola Igbaroola and Mukaila Abdulazeez never bothered about the proposed search by the Police at Abuja, because they know the truth about the authentic registered BOT, which status report was checked again on the 23/1/2023 and still shows the AlhajiTaiwo Mustapha-led BOT as the only Board in existence in ANLCA”.
But while Sanni was busy issuing statement about the peace moves in the second week of January, Farinto who sees himself as the authentic Ag. President had organised his group to hold an Annual General Meeting in Edo State. This was a shock to the other group who appeared not to have been carried along. Farinto later explained that the event is a NECOM meeting which comes up this week. When under criticism by the Mustapha group, the venue of the meeting was changed to Lagos. It is to be held in the Hotel owned by one of the board members of his group. Sources told Shipping Day that while the so much sort-after peace is yet to be achieved by all the parties, Farinto, through the NECOM meeting is preparing soft ground for his presidential ambition as Nwabunike’s tenures nears an end. He is said to be interested in succeeding Nwabunike who is equally comfortable with this arrangement.
Observers are beginning to see ANLCA as nearly degenerating to the level of the National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Agents (NCMDCA) which currently appears to have two Presidents. One of the Presidents is Mr Lucky Amiwero who insists he is the National President. There is also another Interim President, Prince Obi Eze who was reported to have passed on recently. Late Eze is said to enjoy the sympathy of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF). It would be recalled that NAGAFF had offered to sponsor Mr Festus Ukwu for the CRFFN Governing Board election. Though this was not formal. Ukwu claims to be the Interim Secretary of NCMDCA.
Yet the other side attraction of the ANLCA catastrophe is that the former President of the body, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, recently intervened and succeeded in reconciling warring members of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA). Shittu led a Committee which was inaugurated to reconcile the aggrieved members in October last year. By the second week of January of this year , he had succeeded in reconciling the aggrieved members. Pleased with this development, members of NISA took a decision to retain Shittu’s Committee for “continuous reconciliation activities”. The target of NISA is to also reconcile with members of the Ship-Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) which is another shipowners’ association. Other members of the Reconciliation Committee were identified as Edmund Martins, Akin Akinyemi, Engr Emmanuel Ilori; Engr Adewale Ishola and Bar. Paul Omolodun. Based on the development, some customs agents and observers have called on Shittu to also adopt the same strategy in reconciling warring members of ANLCA where he spent 8years as President. Shittu had told SHIPPING DAY that he had in the past done his best in this regard. But many believe that Shittu could do more to achieve the kind of result now prevalent in NISA.
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