ANLCA ELECTION: Shittu Returns As President

After several weeks of drama and heated controversies, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) yesterday held its National Executive Committee (NECOM) elections, its National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu was returned unopposed for another term of four years.

At the election which took place at a hotel at Festac Town in Lagos yesterday, three other officers; Vice President, Emenike Nwokoji, National Secretary, Oparah Ogu and the National Treasurer, Akinsola Bojuri were also returned unopposed.

The new entrants into the NECOM were: Western Zone Coordinator, Chief John Ofobike who defeated the immediate pat occupant of the office; Prince Ozo Chukwura by 28 votes to 18. Dennis Okwu Ejikeme was elected as Eastern Zone Coordinator.

Even though the Board of Trustees of the association had vehemently kicked against modalities for holding the election, its Coordinator; Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha and another board member; Chief Dayo Azeez were in attendance.

In his acceptance speech after the exercise, Prince Olayiwola Shittu appreciated members of ANLCA for their overwhelming support throughout his first tenure, even as he urged them to extend same in his second term.

Shittu charged anyone who feels aggrieved by the electoral procedure to head to court, even as he expressed assurances that the election conducted by the Association's Electoral Commission was free and fair.

"As for those who disagreed with us and chose the part of litigation and do not want to reach out for reconciliation, we should allow the court to decide, if the court decided that what we have done now is null and void, will I not go to my house?", he stated.

"But I am very convinced by my experience through ANLCA and what the constitution has said that we have done the right thing" he said.

According to Shittu, some of the projects he plans to embark upon was to get the association chattered by the National Assembly and to ensure that ANLCA members get commission on every payment made at the port.

"My pledge is to get ANLCA chattered at the National Assembly, we shall be in total control of our professional line and we shall be guided by CEMA because that is where we belong"

"Secondly, we shall do everything we can, together with the BOT to get the Federal Government to also give us commission on every payment as they do to customs, FIRS, NNPC and so on"

"We are also not going to forget our primary assignment which is welfare of our members, advocacy for their right, we must also work on cooperation, this is what has got us this far" Shittu assured.

Also speaking at the election, Coordinator of the BoT of ANLCA, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha charged the new executives with their first task, which is to re-unite all aggrieved parties in the election under one umbrella.

According to him, ANLCA is going through a period of misunderstanding and not crisis, which he blamed on what he called insincerity of some leaders of the association.

He also charged members of the association to always accord maximum respect to BoT members and not to perceive them as enemies.

He dissociated himself from the intrigues in the association created by the other seven members of BoT, saying that this is uncalled for.

"At that NEC meeting, one of the things I saw which we need to correct was that I could see some insults from the floor coming to some BoT members, specifically, Taye Oyeniyi was expressing his opinion on the constitution and somebody asked if he is a lawyer, we need to learn decorum in whatever we are doing"

Even though he insisted that the stand of the board was that the election should be conducted by AGM, he however concurred that the decision taken at the last emergency NEC meeting must be upheld.