· Tony Iju won dubiouslyN— Elochukwu
The factional chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha has said that the association’s board had explored every avenue to make peace in the association but failed, even as he accused the National President of the association; Tony Iju Nwabunike of fueling the crisis in the association due to his inability to stand firm on whatever decision he takes.
Speaking on the side line of the briefing held in Lagos on Wednesday to intimate members about the crisis in the association, the ANLCA BoT chairman told our correspondent that his board has done everything humanly possible to allow peace in the association but has failed, he informed that the board has written five different letters to the NECOM as to how to allow peace reign in the association, but said none of the letters was responded to.
Mustapha who spoke about the crisis in the association informed that the genesis of the crisis was as a result of the inability of the association to be fair irrespective of who is affected negatively or positively.
Giving a deeper insight, Mustapha explained that the association has a standing rule that when the National President comes from a particular zone, the board chairman must come from the other zone and not the same zone as the National President.
He gave example of when the immediate past President; Prince Olayiwola Shittu who is from the western zone while he had the board chairman; Henry Njoku, who is from the east, but however lamented that the current administration has frustrated every move to allow for the continuity of the already-known laid down principles which has now snowball into the big crisis rocking the association.
Mustapha explained that all efforts made by him to ensure peace reigns were neglected as the former board chairman Chief Henry Njoku was not ready to relinquish powers despite having a National President who is from the eastern zone.
He explained that after winning the election of the board, he has gone several times to meet with Henry Njoku just to allow for peace, but said he was however adamant to retain his position as the BoT chairman as against the laid-down zoning formula in the association.
The ANLCA chieftain who also spoke about the recent elections conducted by the NECOM in Abuja and Kano frowned at the audacity of the NECOM to conduct election in the two chapters, when it is actually the function of the board to do so.
Mustapha, who declared the election as dead-on-arrival stated that the board will approach the court over the issue, even as he informed that there are other plans that the board has which he said he wouldn't want to reveal for now.
Also speaking, a member of the board, Sir Ernest Elochukwu also stated that every move made by the board to bring back peace to the association has been blocked by the National Executive Committee (NECOM), which he claims they are no longer in charge due to a court order restraining them from participating in the running of the association.
Elochukwu further alleged that the National President of the association; Tony Iju Nwabunike won the election that brought him to office dubiously, but said his opponent who contested against him decided to let go, to allow for peace in the association, which he (Tony Iju) has refused to allow.
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