• Ejiofor: The Council has no Board of Trustee
The reconciliation moves being brokered between Chief Festus Ejiofor and Mr. Lucky Amiwero factions of National Council of Managing Director licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) may have hit a brick wall.
Even though it appeared that the two factions were ready to embrace peace, facts emanating from the recent meeting which held in a popular hotel in Apapa revealed that it is only a faction within the Lucky Amiwero faction that is reaching out to the Ejiofor faction.
Indeed, neither Ejiofor nor Amiwero was at the meeting, apart from that, the meeting ended with more name-calling, among its leaders.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, exclusively shortly after the meeting, Chairman, Board of Trustee, NCMDLCA, Chief Austine Kelly alleged that two prominent members of the association are causing problems for the association.
“We had a meeting with a Ejiofor which lasted for two and half hours because we entered that meeting around 1pm and left the place after 3pm, he was full of apology”.
Kelly however maintained that Chief Ejiofor should give account of the five vehicles allegedly auctioned by the past administration of Dikko Abdullahi to NCMDLCA, otherwise the council will be forced to petition the EFCC for further investigations.
Meanwhile, in a chat with Chief Ejiofor via the telephone, the factional President claimed that he was never aware of the meeting held by both factions, even as he added that the NCMDLCA has no Board of Trustees.
The factional president also stated that election cannot hold because of the pending court case.
Earlier, Ejiofor disclosed that he has petitioned the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) notifying it of alleged attempts by founder of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Boniface Aniebonam and a frontline freight forwarder, Chief Austen Kelly to cause disruptions in the association with intents to hijack it.
In the letter titled “security alert” addressed to the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe on 26th January 2016, Ejiofor noted that Aniebonam and Kelly are making attempts to forcefully conduct elections in his association, an action which according to him could lead to a breakdown of law and order at the port.
He observed that Aniebonam and Kelly as well as their cohorts are not card-carrying members of NCMDLCA, alleging that Aniebonam is making attempts to bring all freight forwarding associations under his control.
He alleged that Kelly and Aniebonam are calling for elections because of greed and that they are only interested in selling forms for elections and collecting money from people.
Also speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Ejiofor explained that he was not against elections holding in the association, he however feared the outcome of the court case between himself and factional President; Mr. Amiwero.
“You will recall that since the inception of our administration in 2009, we have had to contend with multiple court cases instituted by Mr. Lucky Amiwero- our former President which are yet to abate, though with three court victories and two still outstanding at Igbosere Magistrate Court and Federal High Court respectively, all these have been at an enormous cost and inconvenience to the running of the Council under my watch” he said.
Ejiofor said that the people involved in the crisis which include: Chief Austen Kelly is not the Chairman Board of Trustees of NCMDLCA and that he is self-acclaimed, he also argued that Mr. Boniface Okoye who was named by Kelly as Chairman electoral commission of the association has never been a member of the association.
Others he identified include; Mr. Charles Njoku, Mr. Emmanuel Akide and Festus Ukwu whom he said have all been suspended from the association for anti-association activities.
“Aniebonam is somebody I respect a lot and I like him, but I will not be pushed around by anybody, what they are doing now is to put me into jail”
“Why I am resisting the election so much is because I have not finished by battle with Lucky in the court and you are trying to push me around, if I am jailed, they will be sleeping at home with their wives while I sleep in prison and I cannot take such in my life, there is no faction in NCMDLCA, I was the one recognised by CRFFN” he said.
Ejiofor said that Lucky Amiwero is still the Chairman Board of Trustees of NCMDLCA.
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