Nwabunike Peace Move: Pulling ANLCA From Precipice of Disaster

Penultimate Monday, the National Executive Council of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), at the prompting of Tony Nwabunike, the President of the Association, recalled all suspended national leaders of the association.

The suspended leaders, who included Chapter Chairmen, Committee members and Zonal Coordinator, all in the Western Zone of the association, were hammered at the NEC meeting of the association in December, 2018 as a fall out of the crisis in the Board of Trustees of the Association.

Since then, the association had not known peace.

Their suspension had sparked off huge raging conflagration that polarised the association and threatened to submerge it in a vicious torrential flood of war of attrition.

Unfortunately, the avoidable crisis has denied Tony Nwabunike the opportunity to effectively function as the President of the oldest freight forwarding association in Nigeria.

But on November 25th, 2019, Nwabunike displayed a rare show of sportsmanship when he prevailed on the NEC members to recall the aggrieved members.

With this singular action, Nwabunike has saved ANLCA from tipping over the dangerous cliff.

With his decision, Nwabunike has successfully denotated the ticking bomb that was almost exploding to dismember the association.

We at nigeriamaritime360.com commend the ANLCA President for this act of statesmanship, show of courage and display of genuine commitment and interest in the survival of the association.

This platform has always expressed its concerns on the long and protracted but needless crisis that has engulfed the oldest freight forwarding association in Nigeria in the last one year, nine months.

We were more worried by the devastating effects it has had on its teaming members who were left stranded and exposed to the harsh vagaries of the maritime industry where they were being subjected to mindless exploitation due to the crisis that has made them wander aimlessly like sheep without Shepherd.

We want to congratulate Nwabunike on this feat which we are confident will restore the desired peace and progress to the association which has stagnated for the period the crisis lasted.

We equally want to commend other members of the NEC who supported the peace initiative of the President.

Without their endorsement, the peace initiative would have been frustrated.

Together, you have successfully written your names in the golden books of ANLCA as those who saved the association from disintegration.

We are encouraged by the response coming from the camp of the aggrieved parties which suggests that they are ready and willing to accept the olive branch extended to them by Nwabunike.

To us, this is a momentous event for the association as the reconciliatory efforts will surely restore ANLCA back to its former glory as the leading voice in the freight forwarding industry in Nigeria , a position it had momentarily conceded to the more ambitious sister association.

As there is now a light at the end of the tunnel as a result of this initiative, we want to advise that no group or individuals should set any obstacle towards the full realisation of the much-desired peace which we all craved for in ANLCA.

All parties should now jettison their differences, greed and selfishness but work together to accelerate the process of regaining the lost glory of ANLCA and restore the hope of the teaming languishing members.

United we stand but divided we fall, says the popular axiom.

The coming together of ANLCA will not only make its strayed and stranded members heave a sigh of relief but will effectively checkmate the over-bearing attitude and action of the service providers who have gleefully exploited the crisis to further subjugate freight forwarders to long period of servitude.

The words of the immediate past President of the Association, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, are comforting when he said the reconciliation of the warring parties in ANLCA has now made the association stronger and more united to confront the operational challenges of its members.

It couldn’t have been better said.

We therefore advise Nwabunike to seize the opportunity of the overwhelming support his peace move has enjoyed among his members to work assiduously for the progress, prosperity and advancement of the cause of ANLCA so that his name will be etched in gold as a selfless leader who saved ANLCA from perdition.

Tony Nwabunike, you can proudly step forward to receive an award of “Nobel Prize for Peace” which this platform confers on you for your exemplary leadership.