The ongoing crisis within the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has deepened further as factional groups express divergent views regarding another three months extension of the tenure of the current National Executives Committee Members (NECOM) of the association.
The crisis took another twist when a statement purportedly issued by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Taiwo Mustapha, appointed Babatunde Mukaila, the current National Secretary of the association, as the new sole administrator. Mustapha also asked the acting president, Dr. Kayode Farinto, and other NECOM members to step down from their positions, allowing Mukaila to oversee the association until the elections can be conducted.
This purported appointment has escalated tensions and intensified the crisis within the association. Acting president Dr. Kayode Farinto disputed the authority of BoT chairman Taiwo Mustapha to ask the NECOM to step down, stating that the NEC has extended their tenure by three months.
The ANLCA held a NEC meeting in Abuja last week Wednesday, during which members of the association reportedly extended the tenure by another three months. However, this decision has been criticized by factional members who described the NEC meeting as a “kangaroo” gathering.
Speaking with our correspondent, Mr John Oforbike, a chieftain of the association belonging to the Emenike faction, expressed opposition to the tenure extension obtained after the NEC meeting in Abuja. Oforbike alleged that the extension violated the ANLCA constitution and claimed that the tenure had already been extended for one year. He criticized the NEC meeting, pointing out that only four out of the 11 NECOM members were present. He further alleged that two members of the current NECOM; Hajia Bola Muse and Babatunde Mukaila, have already stepped down, leaving only Kayode Farinto and Dennis Ugwu as the remaining members who have refused to vacate their positions.
Oforbike also highlighted the disagreement within the Board of Trustees (BoT) regarding the NEC meeting in Abuja. While most BoT members believed that the NECOM should be dissolved, only Ozor Chukwura and Eniola Igbaroola disagreed and attended the Abuja meeting to defend the NECOM’s position. Ultimately, Taiwo Mustapha, the chairman of the BoT, used his constitutional authority to dissolve the NECOM, he stated.
Responding to the situation, Kayode Farinto disputed claims that the tenure extension was unauthorized. He emphasized that a NEC meeting took place in Abuja last Wednesday, during which a letter from the Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) was presented.
According to Farinto, the ASECO requested an additional month to conduct elections due to unforeseen challenges. He stated that in accordance with the relevant section of ANLCA’s constitution, the NEC approved the extension of their tenure by another 90 days to allow ASECO sufficient time to organize the election. Farinto refuted the claim that no meeting occurred and pointed out the presence of Board of Trustees members and various chapter chairmen at the NEC meeting.
In a statement issued by Prince Ozo Chukwura, Vice Chairman of ANLCA BOT, he described the purported appointment of a sole administrator as fake news and stated that the BoT never met to agree on such a decision. Chukwura accused Taiwo Mustapha, who allegedly released the press statement, of giving him a letter to read at the NEC meeting in Abuja and later apologized for his absence at the meeting due to a personal reason. Chukwura also mentioned that most BoT members were in Abuja for the meeting and could not have met to make any decision regarding a sole administrator.
However, conflicting interpretations of ANLCA’s constitution have fueled the internal strife from within, leaving the fate of the tenure extension and the overall leadership of ANLCA uncertain.
Efforts to reach Babatunde Mukaila, who was purportedly appointed as the sole administrator, proved unsuccessful as calls and text messages sent to him were not responded to at the time of press.
A member of the Farinto faction, who requested anonymity, accused Mukaila of being indecisive and urged him to clarify his position regarding the appointment. The member expressed concerns about Mukaila’s silence, suggesting that he may be involved in double-dealing, which is detrimental to the association.
