Even as electioneering campaign is gathering storm for the coming elections at the chapters in the western zone of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the chairman of Tin Can chapter of the association; Mr. Kayode Farinto has frowned at the enormous powers which, according to him, the constitution confers on the National President.
Farinto specifically called for the scrapping of section 30 of ANLCA constitution even as he described some sections of the constitution as too archaic and unfriendly to the chapter chairmen.
Even as electioneering campaign is gathering storm for the coming elections at the chapters in the western zone of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the chairman of Tin Can chapter of the association; Mr. Kayode Farinto has frowned at the enormous powers which, according to him, the constitution confers on the National President.
Farinto specifically called for the scrapping of section 30 of ANLCA constitution even as he described some sections of the constitution as too archaic and unfriendly to the chapter chairmen.
Farinto who is also contesting for a second term as chairman of the chapter spoke with Shipping Position Daily in his office yesterday and described the section of the constitution as one of the major challenges he faced during his first term in office.
According to him, the constitution has made the president to be too powerful that he can sack or dissolve the chapter executive of any chapter whenever he feels like.
Speaking further, he said that: "This really hampered our development because, there are many instances when we wanted to take up issues, but the national level will query you, they will threaten you with suspension as well as the section 30 of our constitution".
Farinto also confirmed in our correspondent that he had been threatened with suspension on two occasions due to one reason or the other.
"I had to go and start begging, and this is how many of the chapter chairmen have been cowed, they cannot talk, most of them are not happy about it, but they don’t have the guts to come out and say it", he lamented.
He confessed that he has always had a running battle with the National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu on the same issue.
"Whenever you talk at meetings, it looks as if you have an effrontery, but I don’t hesitate to say it the way I see it irrespective of whose horse is gored".
"Whether we like it or not, the constitution of ANLCA must be subjected to amendment, before the present national executives were elected, they were the same people that came to my chapter to seek for votes, how can the president of this country just decide to remove a state governor? It is unconstitutional and undemocratic", he continued.
He described the situation as that of the era of cold war in ANLCA and that this will continue until those he called the old brigade sea reasons with the new brigade.
Being an association that was established in the 1950's, Farinto urged the present national executives of the association to ensure that they contribute to the policy making of the Federal Government rather than adopt a lame duck approach towards issues.
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