Frontline ANLCA member; Alhaji Mikky Olalere Okunola (popularly called Alhaji Bintin) in this interview, opened up on what he called the marginalization of Yorubas in the last election of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents in Seme border as well as his expectation of the election panel which the association has constituted to look into the various complaints that arose from the elections.
Frontline ANLCA member; Alhaji Mikky Olalere Okunola (popularly called Alhaji Bintin) in this interview, opened up on what he called the marginalization of Yorubas in the last election of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents in Seme border as well as his expectation of the election panel which the association has constituted to look into the various complaints that arose from the elections.
As you are already aware, the Northern Zone Election programme is already in the air. Looking at the recently-conducted Western Zone election and inauguration of Election Petition Panel to look into various complaints that emanated from the election, is there any need to start the Northern Zone election without concluding issues pertaining to the Western Zone election?
One just discovered that the association is in a hurry to conclude the election without minding its credibility. It is an attribute of our association to ensure that there is ‘no dull moments’ whether this is meaningful or it’s a mere waste of time and resources. The Association is always functioning. The popular opinion is that the election in Western Zone should be concluded before embarking on any other election. I thought there should be lesson to be learnt from mistakes of the Western Zone election which could be useful in conducting the one of Northern Zone, but as it has been unfolded, the mistakes of the Western Zone do not matter, and as such the association’s leadership felt there was nothing important to learn from the past mistakes. Notwithstanding that the Western Zone election had rubbed the association of the desired peace and integrity. The election had exposed the high level of pervasive corruption, lack of integrity and honesty in the association.
Every member has been talking about unity and progress in ANLCA. Where do you see the association in the next couple of years, most especially after the current executive’s tenure?
I must be very honest with you; I cannot see a credible ANLCA in the next couple of years after expiration of the current executives, if things go on like this. I looked into the happening in the maritime industry with particular reference to the activities of various associations with similar aims and objective like ANLCA and I come to conclusion that if the present National Executive refused or failed to do it right, the future of ANLCA is bleak. But if both the leaders and the led change their ways, ANLCA may still be waxing stronger. Do not forget that other associations in the maritime industry are not relenting in their effort to give ANLCA a very good competition. I was one of those who said that there was no need for other associations, but emerging developments have proved me wrong and recent events have persuaded me to change my mind. Recently, a move to partner with other associations in the collection of members’ practicing fees and shared on agreed percentage was hatched and succeeded. ANLCA attempted to exert superiority over other associations but entertaining fair of members’ competition in term of determining who does what at sea ports, air ports or land borders. Why each association cannot determine what job their member do and collect practicing fees from the performance of its members. Somebody who is not involved in customs clearing and forwarding activities will go on flexing muscles in the ports to have share from members’ practicing fees. So, the ports will be unsafe for genuine ANLCA members to practice their legitimate profession unless such person is included in the sharing formula. This is a practice that has encouraged malingering both at the sea ports, air ports and various land borders. The implication of the scenario is that mushroom associations would continue to spring up as long as there is money to share. What it means is that two or three persons will come together and form an association in order to participate in the sharing formula. I don’t want to think that I am as good as anybody in making that decision, but I don’t believe in that sharing arrangement. I don’t think it will do ANLCA any good in a distant future.
How genuine are the complaints of marginalization by Yorubas in the Seme Chapter?
For years, Yoruba members have been complaining of marginalization and I am involved in the campaign. But this has not been redressed up till now. Yoruba members in Seme Chapter are very peaceful in nature and resilient too. They will give you a long rope to hang yourself. Despite incessant complaints by Yoruba members, nothing has changed. The Yoruba members account for about 75 percent of the total practicing agents in Seme Border, but any time there is an election, practitioners from other geo-political zones will import non-members of the chapter into Seme for election purpose only. What marred the just-conducted Western Zone election in Seme Chapter was that a highly placed National Officer of the ANLCA dubiously inserted 59 voters who have not passed through normal ASECO clearing procedure into Seme voters list to the advantage of a chairmanship aspirant from his geo-political zone. The Yoruba members at the chapter see this very development as injustice and, of course, the necessary ingredient for violent in any association is injustice. If you mete out injustice to a very important group like the Yorubas, what do you expect from them? They might decide to seek redress elsewhere. They have looked inward, they expect to see justice but if on the contrary, they will seek legal redress within the ambit of the association’s constitution and Nigeria’s constitution. Through injustice, they are preventing the Yoruba from occupying the chairmanship post of the chapter since the inception of the association in Seme Border. Can anybody say there are no qualified Yoruba members for the post? Or is it that the other tribe is better qualified than the Yorubas at the Border?
You have always preached peace and unity of this association. Why this sudden change?
I am a crusader for social justice. Social justice is the cradle of peace. But I am yet to be convinced that ANLCA is ready to do justice to the issue of chairmanship position in Seme Border, especially to the Yoruba members. I have written series of letters to the National President and the BoT Chairman on this issue and others. There is always a limit to any human attribute, including patience. The Yoruba members in Seme Border have waited for a very long period for justice to be done. Do you think we should continue waiting for (only God knows) years without social justice? If the association doesn’t want to do social justice to the Yoruba, it will be foolish of any Yoruba member to start preaching or dreaming of a better ANLCA in Seme Border. It is as if the Yoruba does not exist in Seme Border ANLCA politics. The National Executives of the association seem not to attach any importance to our complaints. That is why I altered my stand.
The Yorubas have their own share of power under this present dispensation. If you are still talking of marginalization, what do you expect the other geo-political group to do?
We had our own share of presidency through Prince Olayiwola Shittu. But Shittu in the presidency was more Nigerian than Nigerians. Although he is holding the plough presently, he didn’t plough to his side. That was why we are not happy with the way our National secretariat is handling the issue of Seme Chapter on this election issue. Every member in Seme Chapter knows that Shittu is doing little or nothing on issues that has to do with Seme as a chapter. But, must the Yoruba marginalization continue because a Yoruba man is the President? We are complaining now so that when we decide to take our destiny in our own hands, nobody will have the guts to blame us. I love ANLCA as an Association, but I love my people more. Since the inception of Seme ANLCA Chapter, no Yoruba person has ever made it to the position of Chairman. Yoruba members in Seme Chapter have derived no dividends from the sacrifice they had made for the continuity of the association in Seme Border. We have it on record that other tribes who lost ANLCA election in Seme Chapter went to form another association in the same Seme Border. Today, that person occupies a very high post at the National secretariat of ANLCA and is now causing trouble in his attempt to satisfy his geo-political demands in one hand and satisfy the association he formed in Seme Border on the other hand. Must ANLCA wait until the Yoruba members in Seme start emigrating to other associations or form a new one, thereby robbing ANLCA of the best brains in Seme? The resource any association can proud itself with is human resource. When there is no social justice, there can be no peace. The ANLCA in Seme Border stands on a tripod-North, East and West. Anything that is stabilized on a tripod cannot stand on one. The East has disproportionately ruled the chapter since inception because of the cooperation of the West. It is now time for the Yorubas to take their turn for social justice to prevail. But I understand now that the Ibos are jostling to hold on to the chairmanship position of Seme Border at all cost, which could be detrimental to continue peaceful existence of ANLCA in Seme Border. Every member in Seme Border as at now must have come to term with the fact that social injustice is keeping us down, why should we not sit down to reorder ourselves so that peace may prevail?
Now that there is an election petition panel to look into issues which arose from the just-conducted western zone election, what are your expectations from the panel?
From the first day of the panel’s sitting, our demands and expectation was that the 59 fake voters who were dubiously inserted into Seme voters list on the morning of election day by a very high ranking official of the association at the National level in connivance with the ASECO should be removed and the remaining should be counted and Alhaji Lasisi Bisiriyu Fanu declared the winner as the Chairman-elect of Seme Chapter of ANLCA. Secondly, the perpetrators of the atrocity of inserting the fake voters should be established and appropriate disciplinary measures be taken against them to serve as deterrent to others who may be contemplating committing similar atrocities. Thirdly, the identified fake voters should be prevented from appearing in future elections in Seme Border unless their membership of the chapter is modified appropriately.
Are you saying that Yoruba members in Seme Chapter of ANLCA should exclude themselves from ANLCA activities?
Yoruba members can refuse to be marginalized. It is their right to refuse to be marginalized within ANLCA in Seme Border. Consistently since the inception of the association in Seme Border, we have been marginalized.
Don’t you think they should complain? You don’t think they should no longer be a part of this self-deceit?
The thinking is that the election petition panel will provide a platform to right the wrongs from the just-conducted western zone election of the association, don’t you think so?
Let us wait and see. I am not privileged to know the volume of the works the panel is handling, but I am of the opinion that the panel does not have all the time at its disposal. The time already spent is enough to turn out a credible report. Delay is dangerous; somebody is occupying the chairmanship seat from a result that emanated from a doubtful process. Justice delayed is justice denied.
But this is all that is permissible within the Association constitution
My dear friend, we have always had panel in this association, very many of them have not worked to address the complaints and expectations of majority of members. We had some during the past executives both at National and Chapters levels. If we don’t have history of panel success, why do you think this one will work? I pray the panel’s reports meet members’ expectation and also that the National Executives have the courage to do what is right.
Do Yoruba members in Seme Chapter have the right political leadership now to champion the course of the association at the chapter?
Political emergency throws up political leadership. We had a situation that threw up Late Chief Uzo as chapter Chairman. Members didn’t earmark him as Chairman of the chapter. So, emergencies will always throw up a new leadership. The situation on ground now has clearly shown that the present crop of executives in Seme Border were not in any way prepared to advance the cause of members’ welfare. The only joint project to advance the welfare of all members was the construction of Members Office Complex at Seme, the foundation of which was laid about eight years ago during the tenure of Dr Opara. Unfortunately, the project is still at lintel stage. The political will to complete the project is not in them. Their erroneous position was that the border was not in their political region and as such it may amount to waste of time and resources embarking on such project. Otherwise, what can one claimed to be the defense of Seme Chapter’s failure to complete the project which started eight years ago? Alhaji Bisiriyu Lasisi Fanu has given us his words to embark on immediate completion of the project on assumption of office. And on this we resolutely stand. The project is too dear to our heart.
From experience, Nigerian politicians are the same when it concerns fulfillment of electoral promises.
Why do you have such confidence that Alhaji Bisiriyu Fanu will deliver on his campaign promises?
What we are saying is not just an election campaign, but self-assessment. We are tired of non-performing executives in Seme border because of rancor between Anambra and Imo State members of the executives. An Anambra man in Seme Border executive does not see anything good in Imo executive member. During the tenure of Dr Opara, the chapter suffered greatly and the same thing with the current executives headed by Mr. Patrick Ozobialu a.k.a. Omaja. Indigenes of both states do not want to see to the success of one another within the executives. They found it extremely difficult to work as a team willing to advance the welfare of the members of ANLCA in Seme Border. Alhaji Lasisi Bisiriyu had agreed to go on a selfless mission of deliverance against all hindrances associated with non-performing executives in Seme Border. We should at least effect a desired change and move the association forward. We have been stagnant for almost a decade. The Yoruba ANLCA Members Forum met all known geo-political leaders on marginalization issue.
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