Shittu opens up on ANLCA crisis - says he is unmoved

Funso Olojo |

For the first time since he left office as the National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) in 2018, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, opened up to the nigeriamaritime360.com on the internal squabbles within the association.

Against the general expectations that as the immediate past President of the Association, he would be worried by the crisis, Prince Shittu said he was not perturbed by the happenings in the group.

“I am not worried by what is happening in ANCLA” he told our correspondent with a deadpan expression on his face.

In a no hold barred interview, Prince Shittu disclosed that what is currently going on in the association was a child play to what he went through in his eight- year tenure as the President.

“But I was able to manage the situation with high sense of maturity and diplomacy.

“I had a very hostile board and even some high ranking members were openly against me.

I had more than seven cases.

“At a point, I had to use my personal resources to run the association because they instigated the chapter executives not to remit the statutory dues to the national secretariat”

Shittu declared.

He disclosed that he has shared his experiences with the incumbent President on how to manage the situation but from all indications, he did not heed his counsel.

He said he had played his own part and left the stage, adding it is left for the incumbent to play his cards as he deem fit.

He said he met nothing but left something in the association and it now behoves on the incumbent (Tony Nwabunike) to build on what he met.

“He had come to my office for about four times, sitting where you are seated and I offered him brotherly advice.

“I have met him at social gatherings where I still continue to counsel him but he is at liberty to take my advice. I cannot force him.”he said.

Prince Shittu however said what he won’t do is to make public declaration on the happenings in the association for which they could latch on for political gains.

“That is what is paining them ( the present executive of the association)

“They wanted me to make a public statement that they could turn to their political gains and I would not do that” he stated.

Just like every other stakeholders, Shittu traced the genesis of the crisis rocking the ANLCA to the wranglings in the board.

He believed that Tony Nwabunike, the President of the Association, holds all the aces to quell the conflagration.

“People said Nwabunike is taking sides with Chief Henry Njoku,the Chairman of the Board.

“He may have reasons to take sides with him because Njoku told Nwabunike that he owes his victory at the elections to his (Njoku)support.” Shittu noted.

He lampooned what he regarded as an ignominious role of Chief Njoku in the association which he said is now threatening the corporate existence of the association.

Shittu declared that Njoku has always been a torn in the flesh of the association which he alleged he (Njoku) wants to dominate.

“He, Njoku did worst things against me when I was the President. I discovered he was behind every intrigues in the association. But I was able to manage him”

“He always feels he is superior to everyone, including the President and always want to dominate them”

“We even asked him to come and be the President if that is what he wants.

“I have not talked to him since I left office ” Shittu declared

Shittu revealed that Chief Njoku has dragged him to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) two times on spurious allegations in his bid to subjugate him, the recent being after he left office.

He however said he had nothing to fear as he did not take a dime from the association.

“As a matter of fact, I used my money and resources to serve the association”

He advised Nwabunike that as a leader, he should carry everyone along, including those who did not vote for him.

“He should be the president of all, including those who voted against him”

Shittu observed that part of the reasons why some people are against him is to put pressure on him to do the right thing.

In the one -hour interview, Shittu was frank as he dissected the intrigues that are playing out in the association, his eight -year tenure which he said was turbulent and the infamous role which the board led by Henry Njoku, played to make his tenure “very hot”

We shall serve you all these details in the interview later this week.