ANLCA Patron Denounces Alleged Dissolution of National Executive Committee as Misleading and Inconsistent with Association’s Constitution
PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: In a recent press conference held at his office in Port Harcourt, Chief Henry Njoku, the Patron of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), vehemently refuted the purported dissolution of the National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the association. The claim was credited to one Dapo Olawumi, who alleged that Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, a self-proclaimed ANLCA Board of Trustees Chairman, had dissolved the NECOM. Chief Njoku dismissed the assertion as a ruse, malicious, misleading, and inconsistent with ANLCA’s supreme constitution.
Reacting to the publication, Chief Njoku expressed his dismay, stating, “My attention has been drawn to a publication credited to Dapo Olawumi that the National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has been dissolved by Taiwo Mustapha, who was alleged to be the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ANLCA and acted in that capacity to purport to have dissolved the NECOM.”
Displaying visible anger, the ANLCA Patron and CEO of Harritex Group of Companies, Chief Henry Njoku, asserted that he would not waste his time responding to such “hoax and garbage” disseminated by those with ill intentions towards the association. However, he emphasized the need to set the record straight, stating, “I wish to state that such a publication is misleading, and such dissolution is inconsistent with ANLCA’s supreme constitution and only reflects the wish of those who do not mean well for ANLCA.” He further urged all well-meaning members of ANLCA to disregard the alleged unconstitutional act and remain calm.
Expanding on the matter, Chief Njoku highlighted that Taiwo Mustapha had been specifically restrained by a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2018, under suit number FHC/L/CS/1274/2018, from presenting himself as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ANLCA. He stressed that Mustapha neither holds a position in the Board of Trustees of ANLCA nor is recognized by the Corporate Affairs Commission in Abuja as its Chairman. Chief Njoku questioned the source of Mustapha’s power to dissolve ANLCA’s NECOM and reiterated that “Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha and his cohorts have no power under ANLCA’s supreme constitution to announce such dissolution and appointment.” He emphasized that the Federal High Court’s restraining order prohibited Mustapha from parading himself as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ANLCA.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Zonal Executive Committee of ANLCA has rejected the alleged dissolution of the ANLCA National Executive Committee, led by the Acting National President, Dr. Farinto Collins, Sir Joshua Ahuama, the Zonal Secretary, conveyed this stance on behalf of Chief Uche Martins, the Zonal Chairman, during a press briefing in Port Harcourt. Following an emergency meeting, Ahuama stated that the zone thoroughly examined the relevant provisions, sections, and sub-sections of the ANLCA constitution. As a result, they affirmed their support for the decisions made by the National Executive Council (NEC) during their meeting on July 12, 2023, at RockView Hotel in Abuja. The decisions included extending the current NECOM’s tenure by three months in accordance with ANLCA’s supreme constitution, as well as granting a one-month extension request by the Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) to conduct free, fair, and credible elections.
The Eastern Zonal Executive Committee stressed that NEC is the only body authorized to make such decisions and wield the power of extension as prescribed by the ANLCA constitution. They expressed concern over the announcement of the NECOM’s dissolution and the appointment of an administrator without adhering to the ANLCA constitution. Ahuama denounced this act as unconstitutional, breaching the association’s governing document. The zone firmly dissociated itself from the alleged dissolution of the NECOM and pledged unwavering loyalty to the administration led by Acting National President Dr. Farinto Collins.
ANLCA, Nigeria’s oldest maritime association, has been embroiled in a protracted crisis for several years, defying all attempts at resolution. Despite the efforts made by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), observers in the industry now question whether an end to this enduring crisis is on the horizon.
Credit: Bon Peters
