Although, its members claim that it was founded in 1954, there may not be any accurate records to confirm this. However, there is no doubt about the fact that the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is the oldest umbrella body for licensed customs agents in Nigeria.
History still credits Dr Rafiu Oladipo (presently of the Nigerian Football Supporters’ Club) for being the first ‘documented’ president of ANLCA, older generation members of the association also say that there was an interregnum of some years before Alhaji Sani Kamba stepped in to become the national president of a ‘new look’ association.
Alhaji Kamba’s tenure was followed by that of Mr Peter Okocha, Aare Sani Shittu, Alhaji Inua Mohammed and Chief Ernest Elochukwu as national presidents respectively.
While Alhaji Kamba’s tenure remains the relatively longest, others did not have that grace as they were either overwhelmed by intrigues and forces and were subsequently swept away by the politics of the association or had a little stint as either a caretaker committee head or came in to fill a vacuum.
Arguably, the most glorious time in the association’s history was prior to the infamous non-Import Duty Report (IDR) saga of 1995 which led to the revocation of operating licenses of virtually all registered customs agents for alleged complicity in the clearance of questionable imports and evasion of import duty.
This development led to the emergence of the first rival body within the fold of licensed customs agents. The birth of the Mr Lucky Amiwero’s National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents took the shine off, and diminished the influence of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents.
And as if that was not enough, Dr Boniface Aniebonam stepped down as ANLCA’s chairman of customs agents’ relations committee to found the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and with this, the journey to irrelevance for ANLCA began. The battle to regain its lost glory took the better part of the short-lived tenure of Mr Peter Okocha, while the duo of Aare Sanni Shittu and Alhaji Inua Mohammed tried unsuccessfully to ‘repackage’ the association.
The extent to which ANLCA has gone down the drain was underscored by Prince Olayiwola Shittu who incidentally, recently emerged as the new national president of the association at the elections which were conducted in Owerri, Imo state capital. While flagging-off his campaign in Lagos, he had admitted that ANLCA was going down the cliff and that all that the immediate past president, Chief Ernest Elochukwu did was to ensure that it didn’t get worse.
So, emerging as the new national president puts so much on the shoulders of Prince Olayiwola Shittu; be it in the association, in its relationship with other associations or its relationships with other stakeholders within the sector.
The association; especially under the leadership of Alhaji Kamba determined the fate of so many things; especially issues that concern the practice of clearing and related matters.
But ANLCA lost all – its prestige, respect, seeming indivisibility and glory to become perhaps a primus inter paris in the committee of freight forwarding associations where the likes of NAGAFF, Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents and others are already a household name.
There is no doubt about the fact that ANLCA rose through crises which almost tore it into shreds. It was at that point that the likes of Chief Henry Njoku came as chairman, board of trustees.
So, ANLCA under Prince Olayiwola Shittu’s watch will have to hit the ground running. Good enough, his victory is largely anticipated, supported and celebrated by the rank and file of the association. He will also need to carry all the forces along; especially supporters and those who also aspired to be the association’s president.
This newspaper has had reason to warn in the past that if efforts to fully democratize the association from the chapters to the zones and national levels failed, ANLCA may never rise again, so we are happy that a new set of elected leaders now preside over the association.
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