The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Apapa Chapter has cried out that it was broke, and that its members are not financially responsive in meeting commitments of the chapter, especially maintaining its secretariat.
Chairman of the chapter; Mr. Olumide Fakanlu told Shipping Position Dailylast week that the association cannot even afford to pay its secretariat staff and that his personal office has now been converted into a secretariat where meetings are held.
Some concerned members of ANLCA in Apapa chapter had recently complained to our correspondent that the current executives of the chapter have not done enough for members in the chapter.
Some of the agents who craved anonymity alleged that the chairman collects money from customs and terminal operators, and that there is a special ‘container office’ created for ANLCA, NAGAFF, National Council inside the APM Terminals where money’s are collected on daily basis.
Speaking, they alleged that: “There is no rallying point for clearing agents in Apapa, if you go to the secretariat, it has not been functional since it was rented, the Chairman’s office has been converted to secretariat. Apapa is the biggest chapter, yet look at Tin Can Chapter, Airport Chapter and Seme border, they are well organised”
But, responding to these allegations, the Chairman; Fakanlu said that there is a secretariat at 300 Wharf Road where meetings are called, but members never showed up. He alleged that his members in Apapa port have not been paying their dues to the association.
Fakanlu also confirmed that he is now running the association from his office, because he could not afford the N850,000 rent on the secretariat which he claimed he had been paying personally for years now.
”You might not meet anybody at the Secretariat because the staff could not be paid and they have subsequently absconded from work”
“If I am using my office as secretariat, what is wrong with that? Has anybody come with any problem and it’s not attended to?”
“Apapa chapter is broke, no money is coming in, the secretariat at 300 Wharf road, the rent is due, it is N850,000, I have to pay it from my personal pocket and I have been paying from my pocket all this while, nobody gives money to the association and an association cannot function without money”
“Ask any of the members what have been their contributions to the association, people who come for the meeting, we asked them but nobody contributed a dime” he said.
Fakanlu also confirmed that some of his members who clear high volume of containers through the Apapa port have been written letter about the association’s predicament but that they refused to help out.
He said that when calls for meetings are sounded, none of them responds.
He also claimed that ANLCA is not collecting any dues inside the port; neither is the chapter benefiting from any largesse from stakeholders.
Discussion about this post