By Joshua Yousouph
There are indications that the warring factions in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) are willing to respect recent moves by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to mediate the crisis rocking the association.
Recall that, the governing council of CRFFN recently inaugurated a reconciliation committee to mediate the crises which have lingered for about four years.
While inaugurating the committee, the Chairman of CRFFN Governing Council, Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni said the committee was expected to investigate the underlying causes of the conflicts in the association and give recommendations to the Council.
However, following the expiration of the deadline given to the reconciliation committee, investigations by Shipping Position Daily have revealed that the two blocs of gladiators in ANLCA have met under the supervision of the CRFFN, together with other stakeholders and have decided to sheath their swords by embracing peace in the interest of the association.
In a chat with our correspondent last week, the Chairman of the CRFFN committee, Alhaji Abba Yusuf noted that the committee has recorded a lot of progress as the two factions have agreed to reconcile and put an end to the crisis.
Yusuf said the committee involved some elders in the industry and has submitted its recommendations to the CRFFN. He informed that the committee has been given two weeks to fully conclude the reconciliation.
Giving an insight into the committee’s findings, he said: “We have made a lot of progress, but we are not yet done. We submitted our report yesterday (Thursday) and it was accepted. We recommended that the two parties have agreed that they are ready for peace and they are tired of fighting. We have agreed now to move. We have involved some elders to assist us. That is where we are.
“We have been given another two weeks to see what we can do. This is because this crisis has lingered for a long time. It is not possible to resolve it within a week. Remember some are in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja. So we have appointed a very senior person that will help the committee. But peace is in sight”
Also speaking, the newly-appointed factional interim President of the association, Mr. Pius Ujubuonu told our correspondent that the committee had begun enquiries by consulting, interviewing and interrogating relevant persons in order to proffer lasting solutions to the crisis.
Ujubuonu noted that the committee is doing a thorough job, even as he confirmed that peace was in sight.
He also added that conducting fresh elections is a welcome development and also a better way of determining the success of the reconciliatory moves.
“But from intelligence report, the people saddled with the responsibility of doing that job are doing a very thorough job and they have been consulting, interviewing and interrogating the relevant persons and trying to take proper steps that will be able to give them facts that will lead to something enduring. I would say they are still working and they wouldn’t say that they have arrived at a conclusion that can give lasting peace. I was one of the people that joined the team that they interviewed and from their language, one can see that reasonably they really mean to approach it with the point of view of finding a lasting solution.
“I am hoping that given the circumstances and doing the right thing, reconciliation and peace is near. But at the same time, when two persons are disagreeing, even if they do not agree, there should be some level of understanding between them for peace to come in eventually. So from my own point of view, I foresee a situation where if the right language, attitude and perception is presented to the fore, peace will not be far away from being achieved”, Ujubuonu said.
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On his part, the National Secretary of the Association, Mr. Babatunde Mukaila said his faction has done their part, adding that one of the major factors that will lead to the sustenance of peace in the association is the official request to the Police to reopen the sealed national secretariat.
Mukaila said, while still engaging the CRFFN on their reconciliatory moves, they will return back to the Police to seek for the reopening.
“We have done our parts. We have met with them and placed the facts on the table. Part of the sustenance of the Peace is our official request for the Police to let the people that got them imposed on the Secretariat under heavy security and gangsterism to come out of the place so that we can both meet the Police which we have done”.
On the contrary, a member of the factional executive; Mr. Joe Sanni told Shipping Position Daily that there is nothing like reconciliation. He noted that he is looking forward to the non-involvement of the Police in order to allow them access to the Secretariat.
He said, there is nothing like reconciliation. Actually, they have offended us too much for four years and we are just trying to say that, since we are one family, let us accept. So there is nothing like reconciliation. Reconciliation according to them is to take their illegal dealings and join it with our own legal ones. That is why there is problem.
“What we are foreseeing is that the Police will hands-off the matter and allow us to enter the Secretariat. They have all the money. They have been using money to fight us for four years and we are saying enough is enough” Sanni concluded
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