ANLCA on the verge of collapse – Oforbike

By Dapo Olawuni

The suspended Western Zonal Coordinator of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA),Sir John Oforbike, has  sounded a note of warning that if nothing is done urgently to resolve the crisis in the association, it may lead to the total eclipse of the oldest freight forwarding group.

In a chat with our correspondent, Oforbike lampooned Chief Henry Njoku and Tony Nwabunike, the National President of the Association for being the architects of the present unrest in ANLCA.

He also alleged that the factional Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) Chief Henry Njokwu has been collecting all dues at the Eastern Zone chapters, adding  that the eastern zone chapters of ANLCA has not paid their dues to the national secretariat right from the time of Prince Olayiwola Shittu.

Oforbike further alleged that this was the main reason why Chief Njokwu has refused to vacate the BOT seat despite various outcry by prominent members of the association and in the face of lingering crisis.

He also stated that ANLCA as an association is gradually dying due to the crisis that has engulfed it.

Oforbike said that he still remains the Western Zone Coordinator of ANLCA, despite his alleged suspension and that of all western zone chapter chairmen by the National President, Tony Iju.

Speaking he said “Tony Iju decided to sack the executives in the western zone because he said they didn’t vote for him, he said he would deal with them, are we fools? Henry Njokwu is destabilising the West and the East is working fine”

“The eastern zone are not paying their dues to the national secretariat, right from the time that even Shittu was National President, they were paying to Henry Njokwu”

While stressing that he still maintains his position as Zonal Coordinator, he said “My office is at the national secretariat, and the key of my office is still with me, I go to my office anytime I want, and I close whenever I want, I was still there on Tuesday last week”

“I am still a member of the NECOM, the latest is that ANLCA is going down everyday due to the ongoing crisis, but at the same time, our president is saying that there is no crisis, and that it is a board crisis, I am laughing at him”

“You are wearing a torned cloth and somebody tells you that your cloth not good, that you are naked, yet you are arguing that your cloth is good, is that not stupidity?

“Pontius Pilate is remembered in the Bible as a man that condemned Jesus Christ to death, it would also be remembered that it was during Tony Iju administration that ANLCA was destroyed without repair”

“But I told him that as an Igbo man, I feel so bad that the tenure of an Igbo man is turned into shreds, we are supposed to have four years like Shittu had, but look at where we found ourselves even in the first year”

“I am the Zonal Coordinator and nobody prevents me from going to my office. I am Zonal Coordinator and I still act in that capacity”

When our correspondent mentioned the fact that administrators have been appointed by the president to act in the Western Zone, he said “Sometimes I look at my brother Tony Iju and I wonder, your house is on fire and you are pursuing rat, we are waiting for him to contravene the court ruling, the meeting he held where he said we have been suspended, are aware that the court has declared that meeting none and void, that order has not been vacated, he should stop being the president on ANLCA on the pages of newspaper”

When he was contacted by our correspondent, the factional BOT Chairman of ANLCA, Chief Henry Njokwu debunked the allegations, saying that it is unfounded.

Njokwu who said he was outside the country presently, also confirmed that ANLCA is an organised association and that what the Western zone coordinator is alleging is totally impossible.

He said “You know it is not possible, you know these things are not possible, you can call the national secretary or the vice president to confirm this”

“We have another Zonal Coordinator in the East, you could as well call him, for me to be joining words with John Oforbike is like reducing myself and I don’t think I am ready for that.
We also have the Chairman of Onne Chapter, you can call him and verify” he said

Our correspondent could not get the National President, Tony Iju to react to the allegations as his phone lines were not connecting.

But when our correspondent contacted the Vice President, Dr. Kayode Farinto, he said that “John Oforbike is talking rubbish”

According to Farinto, “The East are paying their dues to the National, it is only the Western Zone that are not complying, the only chapter in the west that is paying their dues to the national secretariat is Muritala Muhammed Airport chapter, the other chapters are capitalizing on the crisis in the association and are not paying” he said