The recent appointment of sole administrators to head various chapters in the western zone of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has sparked diverse reactions among members of the association.
Recall that the National Secretary of ANLCA; Mr Olumide Fakanlu had announced the appointments on May 22, 2023, stating that the move was to address governance issues within chapters with parallel executives and ensure continuity until proper elections are held.
Reacting to the appointments, Babatunde Mukaila, former National Secretary, expressed strong support for the appointments, emphasizing the constitutional powers vested in the President and the National Executive Council (NEC). “The President has the power and the privilege to take decisions to keep the association united.
“We have a situation where some chapter executives’ terms have expired, and the government cannot be left in a vacuum”, Mukaila stated. He reiterated that the appointments were necessary to prevent a governance void and to ensure that qualified individuals manage the association’s affairs for the stipulated three months.
Speaking also, Ayo Suleiman, Special Adviser to ANLCA President on Media, highlighted the unity within ANLCA, dismissing any notion of factionalism.
“We don’t have two factions of ANLCA; what we have today is one ANLCA headed by the president. I believe everybody’s interest is being considered.
“The basic thing is that ANLCA must move forward, and it’s one of those things they considered before making those appointments.”
However, not all members are in agreement with the appointments. For instance, Mr Val Iwuchukwu, another ANLCA member, voiced his opposition, citing procedural discrepancies. “Personally, I am not in support of this, because that was not what was agreed with the Customs Consultative Council (CCC). There was a timetable which everyone ought to follow, but it was not followed. There was pressure on the former ASECO chairman Alloy Nze Igwe to resign and all that.” Despite his reservations, Iwuchukwu conceded that if the majority of ANLCA members support the move, he would respect their decision.
The appointed administrators for the western zone chapters are:
· Apapa Chapter: Chief Basil Nduagu (Administrative Chairman), Oluwaseyi Adebiyi (Administrative Secretary)
· Tincan Chapter: Sunday O. Oforha (Administrative Chairman), Olasunkanmi F. Sebolatan (Administrative Secretary), Olanrewaju Michael Fisayo (Administrative Treasurer), Tom Efe Joseph (Administrative PRO)
· PTML Chapter: Fred Akintonde (Administrative Chairman), Tochukwu P. Abazu (Administrative Secretary)
· KLT Chapter: Kehinde Alata (Administrative Chairman), Judu Chukwuemeka Okechukwu (Administrative Secretary), Chidi Nlemadun (Administrative Treasurer)
· Seme Chapter: Clement Okpugie (Administrative Chairman)
· MMIA Chapter: Olisaemeka Ugwunze (Administrative Chairman), Samuel Uboh (Administrative Secretary), Niyi Ademiluyi (Administrative Treasurer), Ahmed Ozoku Shuaib (Administrative PRO)
· Lekki Chapter: Mustapha Yakubu (Administrative Chairman), Agunbiade Babatunde (Administrative Secretary), Toyin Awojobi (Administrative Treasurer)
According to ANLCA National President; Emenike Nwokeoji, these administrators will oversee the chapters’ affairs until proper elections are conducted. The move is seen as a temporary measure to stabilize the association and ensure smooth operations across all chapters.
