Court reverses sack of Chapter executives of ANLCA in Western Zone

Justice Emmanuel Olugbenga Ogundare of the Badagry High Court, Lagos State has reversed the sack of the chapter chairmen of Western zone of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA).

It would be recalled that at the NEC meeting of the ANLCA held on 17th December 2018 at the Barcelona Hotel in Abuja, the association suspended Chairmen of various chapters in the Western Zone who had rebelled against the National Executive Council of the group.

According to Mr. Joe Adumaza Sanni, National Publicly Secretary of ANLCA, Justice Ogundare yesterday delivered a ruling on the suit BD/3134GCM/2019 and recognised the elections conducted by the Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha faction of the ANLCA BOT.

A statement issued by Saani confirmed the Judge ruling as saying “Elections conducted into five chapters in Western Zone on the 19th of December 2018 by the Board of Trustees is valid, according to the Constitution of ANLCA”

“Furthermore, the National President should immediately swear in all those elected.
Elections into any vacant positions should be conducted by the BOT immediately, which has the constitutional responsibility to so do, as it has done in all NECOM and Chapters elections in the past”

“All the decisions taken at the emergency National Executive Council meeting of ANLCA held on the 17th of December 2018, is illegal, null and void, as no where in the constitution of ANLCA, which gave any powers to sack or suspend any elected member of the Association without going through laid down constitutional processes”

“Therefore, any appointments arising from that meeting in Barcelona Hotel, Abuja on 17/12/2018 remains invalid and of no effect.
Consequent upon this, anybody found violating earlier restraining orders should be arrested by the Police and brought to the Badagry High Court, Lagos in compliance with the order”

“On the issue of Jurisdiction, the court ruled that it has jurisdiction, and therefore awarded a fine of N100,000.00 to be paid to court immediately.
Furthermore, if the defendant’s lawyers are displeased with the judgment, they have every right to appeal it and even go to the supreme court in Abuja”

“On the issue of Arbitration as directed by the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, the court ruled that since the process has to be constitutionally initiated by the BOT, which presently is in crisis, a judicial intervention may be necessary”

“The matter was adjourned to the 14th of October 2019 for further hearing”