“Anyone who parades himself as ANLCA BOT member risks jail term” - Tony Nwabunike

Segun Oladipupo |

The National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike has said that the six year term of the members of the association’s Board of Trustees (BOT) has expired effective from February, 2020.

Nwabunike added that any member of the expired board who still parades himself as a board member risks jail term.

Recall that the association has been embroiled in a lot of disputes over the chairmanship of the board leading to a lot of litigations.

Members of the board include; Henry Njoku, Ernest Elochukwu, Aare Sanni Shittu, Taye Oyeniyi, Dayo Abdulazeez, Taiwo Mustapha, Dennis Okafor, Peter Obi and Tony Iju.

The board is also factionalized with Chief Henry Njoku leading a faction while Alhaji Taiwo Mustspha heading rival faction.

Explaining to journalists on Wednesday at the association’s secretariat, Nwabunike said that there was an High Court ruling restraining him from recognising anyone as a BoT member.

Nwabunike stated further that he was incapacitated by the ruling even as he said he risked jail term if he recognises anyone a BoT member.

His words, “When this case of board issue started, it was on the inauguration of my election on 13th April, 2018.

“They held this meeting, ushered out somebody, I was not there, the rest is history.

“As at February this year, the board tenure has expired after six years.

“So if anybody is parading himself as a board member, such an individual is risking jail. As far as we are concerned, the board finished its six- year term in February this year but if court gives me an order to have them back, I will not say no to court but I have not gotten such.

“Rather, what I got was a court order restraining me from recognising anyone again calling himself a board member. That’s the latest order in my kit.

“In fact, I am risking jail if I sit with anyone called board member until Appeal Court reverses this. I will not call anybody either chairman A or chairman B or Secretary A or Secretary B in this association.

” We need to have a new board or you go to Appeal Court to quash this judgement”, the ANLCA President explained.