FRONT PAGE COMMENT

In April 2012, Mr Lucky Eyis Amiwero was arrested by operatives of the Customs Federal Operations Unit (FOU). His offence was that he allegedly paraded himself as the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents. He was accused of writing a petition to The Presidency about certain misgivings about the Nigeria Customs Service.
He was to spend five days in the custody of Customs in Ikeja, from where he was taken to the court, and from there, he spent almost two weeks awaiting bail at the Kirikiri prison in Lagos.

In April 2012, Mr Lucky Eyis Amiwero was arrested by operatives of the Customs Federal Operations Unit (FOU). His offence was that he allegedly paraded himself as the National President of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents. He was accused of writing a petition to The Presidency about certain misgivings about the Nigeria Customs Service.
He was to spend five days in the custody of Customs in Ikeja, from where he was taken to the court, and from there, he spent almost two weeks awaiting bail at the Kirikiri prison in Lagos.
Mr Amiwero is the pioneer president of the group since it was formed as an immediate response to the non-IDR scandal of 1995, during which all customs licenses were withdrawn by the Federal Government. There is no clear agreement as to when it was actually registered.
A couple of years ago, an externally induced uprising was stage-managed against his prolong reign; this threw up one Prince Obieze. Since then, the ‘National Council’ has ceased to remain the same. The gladiators have been in and out of courts.
On account of the battle for the soul of the ‘National Council’, earlier this year, its current factional president; Chief Festus Ejiofor was arraigned at the Magistrate Court in Igbosere on a two -count charge bordering on alleged certificate forgery. His main accuser is Mr Amiwero. It’s being said that the case is still in court.
Currently, the two factions operate parallel offices in Apapa, Lagos, with both Amiwero and Ejiofor parading as the ‘President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents’. The duo also has their co-travelers, some of whom have also be compensated with positions as executives of the rival factions.
Recently, Mr Amiwero was ‘reappointed’ as national president. In the case of Prince Ejiofor, he has been ‘president’ without elections for about six years. There is no record that he was elected by members of the Council at a legally convened meeting. Even if he was so elected, should he have finished first term, and sought for second term.
Funny enough, trying to justify his latest ‘reappointment’, Mr Amiwero explained that the constitution of the Council allows him to be so appointed!
Of course, the embarrassment of having two presidents for one association has not engendered the need for reconciliation (in the larger interest of the association) in the heart of the two gladiators. Rather, the duo always regal in their self-perceived strength.  At the ports in Lagos, the two factions have their chapter chairmen, a development which always makes things difficult for the Customs command. A clear instance was the challenge that the PTML command had when the incumbent controller was appointed. He had two factions to deal with and didn’t know which faction to invite to a meeting with stakeholders!
Prince Ejiofor obvious enjoys(rightly or wrongly) the endorsement of the regulatory body; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria(CRFFN), for the simple fact that Mr Amiwero has never hidden his disdain for what he called the illegality of the first council of the CRFFN.
The CRFFN fraternity again played out recently when the President of the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers; Dr Zebulon Ikokide led his team to the office of the Ejiofor faction, for the simple fact that the two of them were members of the immediate past governing council of the CRFFN.
While, one could argue that the Amiwero faction had more bite, depth and knowledge than the Ejiofor faction, the latter may also be enjoying the sympathy of industry stakeholders and ‘government’ going by its membership of the governing council of CRFFN.
Perhaps the game for the Council of Managing Directors could change if only the Amiwero faction will hold an election and stop the ‘appointment’.
The arrow head of the two factions do not know that, by their stand and actions, they are apparently dancing naked in the public, and the industry laughs at their shamelessness, of sort!