Oluyinka Onigbinde
A former president of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke has called on the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), to seek out-of-court settlement in its internal crises, through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
Nweke lamented that, while ANLCA members are fighting, foreigners have taken over clearing agents’ job.
In a statement made available to our correspondent, titled, “ANLCA leadership quagmire, a total derailment of professional fortunes,”
The former NAGAFF president said no court has successfully resolved association’s leadership crisis but, rather elongates the peace process and widens division.
Nweke said the leaders of ANLCA are more concerned about their selfish interests and this is why the crisis has not abated.
He noted that there is no comprehensive “code of professional conduct” as an extant book of executive guide in the ANLCA constitution.
He said the crisis rocking the association has almost destroyed the corporate fabrics of the once thriving association.
The statement reads in part: “it is time to speak to the kings, without sounding immodest, but for posterity sake choose words that will reawaken our leadership consciousness and responsibilities to the led.
“Four years ago, when the ANLCA top echelon leadership tussle reared its ugly head, looking at the array of successful chief executives of viable companies, who by professional inclination and association was brought together, to use their wealth of experiences to chart a new progressive course and add impetus to the freight forwarding profession and practitioners, I rested my confidence, while I relied on the words of this two visionary leaders and writers:
Lord Byron noted that: “Adversity is the first path to truth”, while Francis Beaumont equally noted that: “Calamity is a man’s true touchstone “.
“With this in mind, it implies that any aspiring executive will certainly face one crisis or obstacles in the course of showing leadership or administering the organization.
“Generally, what is expected of such executives under such circumstances is not only thoughts of how to cope with the adversity but how he or they were able to turn the Adversity to corporate advantage.
“I have been astonished and worried that this crisis had persisted till now, I resorted to do a private further review and probe why these crop of experienced and successful chief executives must tow the path of endless destruction of corporate association image and professional integrity, with its attendant consequence on the practicing members, and yet going about with levity and perhaps unperturbed.
“This is the basis of this modest, in my series of canvass for peace, since this crisis started.
“First I discovered that, though this array of high calibre of chief executives which any professional setting can boast of, but judging from their individual and collective actions and events that unfolded so far, can make an acceptable claim to love ANLCA per say, but can not genuinely convince at the moment, any sound mind that they have cargo interest in their hearts ( which is the first attraction into the world of global trade and logistics), neither can they honestly beat their hands to their chest and pride themselves that they are indeed passionate about this noble profession itself, especially so, in the face of the prevailing hardship which the practitioners are going through in the supposedly port value adding supply chain, caused by inadequately committed professional leadership directions, even as the elected chief executives are working across purposes.
“Today, we are back to the era where the practitioners are now helplessly running from pillar to post, professionals has now turn to beggers in a supply chain where they are ideally the strongest link and nucleus that drives other links in the international trade safety and supply chain management.
“Today, many professionals have passed on, some on sick bed, many hopeless, on account of excessive executive ulcers and avoidable pressure, all because, elected chief executives resort to compromise and sacrifice their corporate professional integrity, wellbeing and interests on the altar of egocentrism, undue pride and self seeking adventures.
“Without prejudice, or any deliberate intent to insult the integrity cum personality of any of this crop of chief executives, I discovered that, among the ANLCA status books, apart from some sections of the constitution, non of its books has comprehensive “code of professional conduct ” as an extant book of executive guide.
“To this end, it is obvious to posit that, ”ANLCA Corporate Stake, pursuance to its corporate mission and vision is not adequately defined, as such whatever that constitutes the ANLCA corporate interests is perhaps as crafted or intended by a particular leader or presiding chief executives.
“Here again, I also observed that, professional association leadership logics is often in contention with professional leadership ideology. This usually plays out often, as obvious evidence in practical terms abounds- In most instances, chief executives does see themselves as trade unions leaders today and tomorrow parades themselves as professional advocacy /lobby group. This is a major confusion in corporate outlook and mindset amongst the Associations, not limited to ANLCA.
“In a crisis time, what do the chief executives do?. This is one question a proactive leadership puts on the check list scale. And what a proactive leaders does during crisis is very simple.
“Permit me to highlight few of the virtues and functions usually pursue by the executive leaders:
a. The Executive leader don’t allow the crisis to overwhelm him. He Weighs the possible outcome of the crisis, then take action to change the course of event and ensure to prevent disaster.
b. When crisis seems getting beyond expectations, an Executive leader don’t panic, nor resolve to fight back dirty, rather he conquer fear and double his sense of proportion and fair reaction.
c. In the face of crisis, humility, patience and being focus is key, the executive leader does not react unreasonably, or irrationally neither snarl , nor squander his efforts in the wrong direction, or striking back blindly, etc. The executive leaders does not look for whom to blame rather he sees self as the man of the moment upon whom enormous leadership responsibilities is rested, as such takes responsibility.
d. In the face of crisis, an executive leader stands courageous, reliable, unflinchingly see crisis as an avenue to solve problems as they arise. He preoccupy his mind, thinking solely in terms of plugging holes in the dike. He builds stronger dike if the situation permits it.
e. In crisis situation, an executive leader understands when best to deploy counter attack, as means of defense. He opt for counter attack having weigh options, taking stock and restratagize in other not to defeat set goals or record casualties in the process.
“I would have loved to dwell more on this premise , because much about executive virtues and functions in the context of Association leadership is our collective undoing, but for the want of time, let it not be like one is claiming perfection.
“But the reality is that, this highly elated executives understands this rare virtues and functions of the chief executive leader, but allowed their sense of leadership reasoning and prompt responsibilities to be overwhelmed by the activities of spectators ( aka supporters) and their usual gossips of “they say, them say!!” an act they term as being loyal. Worst still, the executives had suddenly forgotten that they were all good friends prior to the election and now failed to see selves as same people joined together by professional inclination and voluntary associationship courtesy of ANLCA.
“Suddenly, willingness and passion to serve professional colleagues is now misplaced, as undefined interests takes a center stage, tearing them apart, to the extent of almost destroy the corporate fabrics of the great Association.
“Let me say it clearly, this past four years of leadership tussle, by their actions and inactions, some members or practitioners who looked up to them have passed on and the industry is nothing but a shadow of its own.
“Let me also say to them, that from my over 30 years of association involvement and crisis management, experience has shown that, no normal court setting any where in the world has successfully resolved association leadership crisis or matter, rather it elongates the peace process and widen its division. But with alternate dispute resolutions -ADR ( which by design represents an out of court settlement) does so in most cases very successfully.
“Gentlemen, if I may ask an innocent question, what interests are we truly projecting and protecting, is it “WE OR I’?.
Gentlemen, has any of you stolen each other landed property or taken away wife from each other?. The answer is NO.
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“Gentlemen, how long do we continue in this tussle, while the foreigners daily take over our profession in collusion with some shipping and terminal service providers and the agencies of the government are taking our members for granted?.
“Gentlemen, what legacy are we striving to leaving behind us, knowing that posterity is ahead of us?.
“Gentlemen, none of us has monopoly of tomorrow, as tomorrow is pregnant.
“Gentlemen let us resolve here and now to bury ego and pride.
“Gentlemen, let’ us build and focus on developing our profession collectively and empower our teeming professional colleagues (members).
“Gentlemen, God gives leadership powers for service unto humanity. Four years is winding up, can you all sincerely say to yourselves that, you have collectively achieved corporate goals?
“Then, to the past leaders of ANLCA at all levels, who kept mute and watch the Association continuously derailing , I say with due respect, that collectively, your desirous wealth of experiences and wisdom was seriously lacking in this matter, moreso, when it matters most.
“Finally, none of us is perfect. As such, let us for once advice ourselves. Let us look at each other eye ball to eye ball and tender with a soft brotherly tone mea copa – mea copa ( i have ailed you have ailed), let’s think about ANLCA, let’s think about our Profession and let’s think about our professional colleagues/members”.
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