ANLCA’s Crisis Gets Messy As Chieftain, Henry Njoku Debunks Purported Dissolution Of Necom, Slams Taiwo Mustapha-led Camp

The Patron of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA, chief Henry Njoku says the purported dissolution of the National Executive Committee NECOM of the Association as credited to one Dapo Olawumi who alleged that Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha a self acclaimed ANLCA board of Trustees Chairman has dissolved the NECOM was a ruse, malicious, misleading and inconsistent with ANLCA supreme constitution.

Addressing journalists in his office in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital recently, Njoku said, ” My attention has been drawn to a publication credited to Dapo Olawumi that the National Executive Committee NECOM of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA has been dissolved by Taiwo Mustapha who was alleged to be the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ANLCA and acted in that capacity to purport to have dissolved the NECOM”

The visibly angry ANLCA Patron and chief executive officer of Harritex group of companies, Chief Henry Njoku, said he would not have wasted his time replying to such hoax and garbage being dished out by those who did not mean well for the association but to put the record straight added , “I wish to state that such publication is misleading and such dissolution is inconsistent with ANLCA’s supreme constitution and only reflects the wish of those who do not mean well for ANLCA”, insisting that “all well-meaning members of ANLCA should disregard the said unconstitutional act and remain calm.”

Speaking further, Njoku said that Taiwo Mustapha who has been specifically restrained by a Federal high Court sitting in Lagos in 2018 in suit no FHC/L/CS/1274 /2018 from parading himself as Chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA is neither a member of Board of Trustees of ANLCA nor the Chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA registered and recognized by Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, and wondered where such power to dissolve ANLCA NECOM was gotten even as he maintained that “Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha and his cohorts have no power under ANLCA’s supreme constitution to announce such dissolution and appointment as Taiwo Mustapha has been specifically restrained by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos in suit no FHC/L/CS/1274 /2018 from parading himself as Chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA. ”

In a related development, the Eastern Zonal executive committee of ANLCA has rejected in its entirety the purported dissolution of ANLCA National Executive Committee ably led by the Acting National president, Dr Farinto Collins.

This position was disclosed to newsmen in Port Harcourt by the Zonal Secretary Sir Joshua Ahuama on behalf of the Zonal Chairman Chief Uche Martins.

Rising from an emergency meeting weekend , Ahuama said, the zone having perused all the relevant provisions, sections and sub-sections of the ANLCA constitution has decided to solidly stand on the decisions of the National Executive council (NEC) held on Wednesday July 12, 2023 at RockView Hotel Abuja, extending the tenure of the current NECOM by three months in line with ANLCA supreme constitution and also upheld the NEC decision to grant one month extension request by the Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

The zone insisted that NEC is the only organ of the Association saddled with such responsibilities and power for extension as contained in the ANLCA constitution and wondered why anybody or group of persons should announce the dissolution of the National Executive Committee and appoint an administrator without recourse to the ANLCA constitution.

He described such act as unconstitutional which violated the provisions of the Association’s constitution, even as the zone dissociated herself from the alleged dissolution of NECOM while pledging her unwavering loyalty to the Acting National president Dr Farinto Collins led administration.

Recall that ANLCA which is the oldest Maritime association in Nigeria has been engulfed in a lingering crisis for many years which has defied every effort to resolve it.

Industry watchers believed that the recent moves made by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) would have solved the problem, but with the situation on ground one may wont to believe that the end to this lingering crisis might not be in sight after all.

Story submitted by Bon Peters