The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has innaugurated its newly elected chapter executives who emerged winners in the elections conducted last week at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.
The chapters where newly elected officers were sworn in include: Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Seme border, Apapa and PTML.
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has innaugurated its newly elected chapter executives who emerged winners in the elections conducted last week at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.
The chapters where newly elected officers were sworn in include: Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Seme border, Apapa and PTML.
However, certification of office was not issued to the new officers because the association has also set up a three-man arbitration panel to address complaints and to receive petitions that are coming in as a fall-out of the highly controversial elections. The panel is to be headed by a former chairman of ASECO; Mr. Okeize Obinna.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony yesterday, National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu charged the new chapter executives to be good ambassadors of the association even as he reminded them that the inauguration is not sacrosanct because the arbitration panel can still remove any person found to have fraudulently won the election.
"The panel is to look into the complaints of those who are deemed to have lost and redress will be given, I can tell you honestly that your inauguration does not close the door for a revisit of your election”, he said.
Prince Shittu explained that the arbitration panel is to commence its works at the ANLCA headquarters on 2nd of February and it’s to carry out a two-week investigation and hearing of both losers and winners, it is after this that certificates will be given to the new officers.
According to him, dates of election into the chapters where elections were postponed will also be announced after the panel has concluded its findings and submitted its reports. The chapters include; Idiriko, Tincan, Lillypond and KLT.
"Let those who are agitated go and see the panel and submit their petitions, even if you are a winner and you have facts to buttress the fact that you have won and your opponent is just trying to ridicule you, you are at liberty to present your case to them" Shittu said.
While swearing in the newly elected officers, Chairman of the ANLCA Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila explained that the committee has been very fair and open in conducting the elections and that the committee is ready to defend its position.
"Anybody that have any reason to doubt the process should go to the arbitration panel and seek redress, fighting and wrangling will not solve the problem, every process carried out by ASECO, we will defend our position, and anywhere we went wrong we will own up to it" he said.
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