Customs agents to enforce judgement over leadership crisis

Abiola Seun 

The factional vice-chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), of the embattled Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Ozor Chukwurah, said the board has resolved to enforce various court judgments on the crisis rocking the association.

At a press briefing in Lagos, Chukwura specifically made reference to Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Lagos judgement on October 11, 2019 that restrained Tony Nwabunike from recognising Taiwo Mustapha as the chairman of board.

Speaking further at the press briefing, he said the implementation was necessary because the group has sought a position of peace but to no avail, saying the inauguration of parallel National Executive Committee (NECOM), was alien to the association’s constitution.

 Recall that on August 24, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, was at the ANLCA secretariat where he announced the appointment of Pius Ujubonu as interim President of the association.

Other members of the interim executive are, Jamiu Adeyinka as Vice President; Joe Sanni, as National Secretary; Francis Ituah as National Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Usman as Treasurer and Waheed Gbadamosi as Financial Secretary.

However, Chukwura said there are many court judgments against the Taiwo Mustapha-led BoT, but said the board decided to keep mute, as they believe that ANLCA is one family and the crisis can be resolved at a round table.

He, however, said with the recent development, the matter is out of hand, saying they are left with no other choice than to implement all judgement against the Taiwo Mustapha-led board 

He said: “There are so many judgments that we have not been using, because we felt we are one family and kept talking to Mustapha and others, but now with the recent development, the matter has got out of hand.”

“Now the board has no other choice, but to have this meeting and resolve to implement all judged cases. We will pursue and let the court implement all the judgement given to us,” he said

He informed that in one of the judgements, Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Lagos High Court on Oct. 11, 2019 gave an order restraining Mr Tony Nwabunike; the ANLCA president from recognising Taiwo Mustapha as the chairman of board.

He said that the judgement went on to say that Mustapha should stop parading himself as board chairman and should not be recognised by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), as a member of board because he was not genuinely registered.

“We have constituted a panel to see how to bring peace to the association. Their members were part of the panel but they refused to implement the decision of the panel,” he said.

Chukwurah said that the board would also write to the Police and advise them to stop supporting any type of illegalities from the other side.

“They have closed our office for five weeks and we have swallowed all insults, but this has to stop, their behavior is putting the association in a bad light, responsible and educated people behaving in this manner,” he said.

He stressed that when the association is in crisis, the board takes over in that situation, but there was no crisis because there are judgements.

Chukwurah informed that he personally visited the aggrieved members for peace to reign but all to no avail as they unfortunately, do not want to embrace peace.

Speaking on the issue of tenure elongation and amendment of the association’s constitution, acting President, ANLCA, Kayode Farinto, said that the constitution was amended at an Annual General Meeting (AGM), even as he noted that association’s members were present at the AGM.

He explained that the amendment of the association’s constitution was carried out, so as to bring lasting peace to the association.

“The issue of tenure elongation was not our making, it was a unanimous decision at the AGM and it was agreed upon,” he said.

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