·Says Kano Court Injunction No Longer Valid
The Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) said on Wednesday that it suspended some factional members of the association’s Board of Trustees (BoT); Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, Dennis Okafor including the National Publicity Secretary Adumaza Joe Sanni who is a member of the current National Executive Committee (NECOM) of the association for alleged gross misconduct and deliberate assassination of the character of the President and other members of the National Executive Committee.
Speaking yesterday at the association’s national secretariat, its National Vice President; Kayode Farinto informed newsmen that the decision was taken following the National President directive that the recommendation of the National disciplinary Committee of ANLCA headed by the National Vice President exercising its powers inherent in section 7(2) of the Supreme Constitution of ANLCA 2013.
He informed that having summoned the aforementioned to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them, the association however on the 21st of March approved the suspension of the embattled members.
Speaking on some of the alleged misconducts of the four, Farinto informed that Joe Sanni was suspended due to unauthorized publications, press releases and announcement as it concerns ANLCA, wrong and deliberate misrepresentation of court judgement, ruling and orders with the intention to ridicule the association and reduce it in the eyes of reasonable members of the public. He also listed alleged deliberate character assassination, among other offences.
He informed that the association’s disciplinary committee after objectively examining the allegations against Adumaza Joe Sanni recommended the NEC to immediately suspend Joe Sanni from the association after refusing to appear before the committee.
Speaking on why the factional BoT chairman; Mr Taiwo Mustapha was suspended, Farinto stated that the association decided to suspend him following his refusal to abide by court judgement in Suit No FHC/L/CS/1274/2018 which confirmed that he is not a registered trusteeof the BoT of ANLCA much less the chairman. He further stated that Taiwo Mustapha was suspended following the appointment of parallel electoral officers with intention of causing them to conduct kangaroo election for western chapters, thereby causing confusion and division in the association.
The factional BoT chairman was also suspended for allegedly usurping the powers of the National President by acting and administering oath of office to those selected in the alleged kangaroo elections, among other crimes the association said he committed.
Taiye Oyeniyi on his part was however sacked by the association for illegally collecting Form 48 and 49 on two occasions seeking to commute the National President and some other members to prison. He was also disciplined for allegedly for colluding with Taiwo Mustapha to conduct illegal selection and administering Oath of Office to those selected, among other crimes the association alleged he has committed that led to his suspension.
Dennis Okafor was also suspended for colluding with Taiwo Mustapha to conduct illegal selection and administering the Oath of Office to those selected.
Also suspended is the Chairman of Murtala Mohammed Airport Chapter of the association Tope Akinpelumi.
The association also dismissed the court injunction which purportedly sacked the NECOM and newly elected BOT, stating that the injunction was time-barred because it was issued on March 25th, 2021 and its validity expired within the seven days of issuance.
The association further informed that none of the persons named as defendants in the Kano court injunction has either served as a person or through the National Secretariat of the association in Lagos or its Kano office.
He stressed that the injunction had expired since it was said to have been issued on March 25th, 2021, making it time barred after seven days, hence, has nothing to do with the association.
According to him, “The BOT led by Dr Taiwo Afolabi is intact, the decision to sack Mustapha and his men would not further plunge ANLCA into deeper crisis as people may think, the decision was taken in the best interest of the association and in order to keep the sanctity of ANLCA constitution which the sacked members have desecrated though their actions and deeds.
” The constitution of ANLCA is supreme and sacrosanct. If you must be a member of ANLCA, section 2 says the constitution is supreme.
”Another section of the constitution also says that when your acts, utterances and behaviour are seen to be anti-association, you can be punished.
”You can be asked to face disciplinary action which they have done.
”You will agree with me that all their utterances in the past few months show that they are not good association members
”They can go to court if they so wish. The court will even ask them if they have exhausted the internal dispute resolution mechanism. Section 26 of the ANLCA constitution which talks about arbitration.
”We would not continue to tolerate illegality. You can’t just be going to court without going through the internal conflict resolution mechanism of the association which says that you must submit yourself to the arbitration panel” he said.
