The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) is embroiled in a war of supremacy as factional groups within the association escalate their bitter feud, with each side now exchanging threats of proscription.
The once-unified body is now entangled in a fierce power struggle, pitting rival leaders and their staunch supporters against one another.
The factions file behind their supposed Presidents. The Ifeanyi Anakweze-led faction is adamant about using the provisions of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders (CRFFN) Act to proscribe its opponents. In response, the Lucky Amiwero-led faction claims to have secured a court judgment that bars and proscribes their rivals from parading themselves as leaders of the association.
In a chat with Shipping Position Daily last week, a factional Secretary General of the association, Mr Festus Ukwu noted that the Lucky Amiwero-led faction is not recognized by CRFFN, which is the regulatory body for all freight forwarders. According to him, Lucky Amiwero himself is deemed “persona non grata” by CRFFN.
Speaking further, Ukwu explained that according to the Act establishing CRFFN, all practitioners involved in freight forwarding and cargo clearance are expected to be duly registered with the Council before they can operate at the ports.
Ukwu stated that the CRFFN Act prohibits Lucky Amiwero from leading any freight forwarding association, since he has refused to affiliate with the council and get registered. He alleged that Amiwero’s faction has been proscribed and threatened that any of its members found operating in the port should be arrested.
In his words: “The Lucky Amiwero’s faction of the National Council is not recognized by CRFFN. Their President is persona non grata to CRFFN and it has been mandated that wherever they see him, they should get him arrested. We are still going to get them arrested. Anybody that is still appointed by Lucky Amiwero and is still operating at the port should be arrested. That is the law given by CRFFN.
“According to the Act that established CRFFN, anybody that is not duly registered and accredited by CRFFN should not operate in the port. Lucky went to court with CRFFN and he was defeated. Since then he has not been active. Whenever he comes to the port, we will hide and go out. He is not allowed by the Act establishing CRFFN to lead any association.
“I have told those people affiliated with him to come and normalize their registration with the association, because we are still operating under one umbrella and one Certificate of Registration. The National President of the National Council is Ifeanyi Anakweze. We do not have another President” Ukwu claimed.
In response, Humphrey Okwuosa, the Apapa Chapter Secretary of the Lucky Amiwero-led faction, claimed that his group has obtained a court judgment that proscribed the Ifeanyi Anakweze-led faction. He asserted that the judgment remains unappealed, despite the rival group’s claims.
Okwuosa stated that his faction has filed a written petition against the opposing group, labelling them as ‘wanted individuals. He firmly cautioned them to refrain from falsely presenting themselves as members of the association, warning them of legal repercussions upon their arrest.
Reacting to allegations from its rival group, Okwuosa noted that they are just propaganda by the Ifeanyi Anakweze-led faction who is just trying to get cheap publicity.
“We have a judgment that proscribed them. Just last week we placed them on a wanted list. We have written a petition against them and sent them to the AIG Zone 2 for wrongly parading themselves as members of the National Council. They are not supposed to parade themselves as National Council members. There is a Court judgment proscribing them and we are on the lookout for them.
“The government only recognizes Lucky Amiwero’s group. They are just trying to trade on propaganda and lies. We have a copy of the Judgment against them which they have not yet appealed. It is just propaganda trying to score cheap publicity which ought not to. They are not recognized. We are looking out for them. Anywhere we see them, we will arrest them officially” Okwuosa boasted.
