ANLCA crisis deepens – as top Chieftain defects to NAGAFF

By Dapo Olawuni    |      

The lingering leadership crisis that has engulfed the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has taken a new twist as fresh indications emerged that some members are already tinkering on the idea of abandoning the association.

Already, a top member of the association, Mr Francis Omotosho who hitherto was the Director of Planning and Research has dumped the association to join the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF)

Speaking with our correspondent in Lagos last week, Omotosho said that founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam  was reviving the NAGAFF Freight Forwarders Academy, and that he has decided to take up the job of Registrar in revamping the NAGAFF school.

He told our correspondent that he shares in the ideology of the NAGAFF founder.

He said ” The focus of the present administration of ANLCA is no longer in line with mine, I am now the Registrar of NAGAFF Training Academy. We were the ones that started the academy back then before some of us moved to ANLCA, but now I am back in NAGAFF and Dr Aniebonam  has asked me to handle the academy ”

Investigations by our correspondent also revealed that the leadership crisis in ANLCA has taken a new twist.

National Secretary of ANLCA in a separate chat with our correspondent last week though assured that before the end of June, the crisis would be resolved and the association will be back, united as one.

However, reliable sources confirmed that both faction of the Board of Trustees (BOT) are now trying to settle out of court after the federal high court reportedly declared them as ‘unregistered’ board.

The source who spoke under anonymity said “The High Court Justice has warned both lawyers of BOT factions that if he should give judgement on the ANLCA dispute, it would not favor anybody”

“What is very glaring now is that Henry Njokwu has been deceiving us, there is a step in the constitution that says that after the BOT has been elected, the association supposed to ratify and do a registration at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja, this is what CAMA says”

“As it is now, none of  the board members are ratified, they failed to ratify the board members because Henry Njokwu said he doesn’t want Taiwo Mustapha (board coordinator then) to be the one to sign the registration”

“They have shot themselves in the leg by taking the case to court, unfortunately now, it has become clear that they are not also registered, so, all the elections that the board conducted and administered is none and void”

Chief Henry Njokwu and Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha has been struggling for the past one year, both laying claim to chairmanship of the ANLCA BOT.