ANLCA MMAC BROUHAHA, CHUKWUNENYE SPEAKS OUT

 

The peace that was expected to become the norm as a new National Executive Committee of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA) was inaugurated in September 2023 has become rather elusive. The Emenike Nwokeoji led association has become deepened in the imbroglio pervading the first Customs Licensed Agents Associationwhich was founded in the country in 1954.

The latest of the political brouhaha within the association is one that has refused to go away because of perceived self interests. The Murtala Mohammed Airport Command chapter of the association has an elected executive committee led by Mr. Adewusi Adejare Bamgbala, his tenure has been marred by a fight for takeover as a faction has continually tried to lay claims to be the right executive committee.

As events continue to unfold at the chapter, stories abound that the faction trying to upturn the leadership of Mr. Bamgbala has been using all manner of underhand tactics to usurp power. We went to interview the current vice chairman of the association, Mr. Davies Ben Chukwunenye who gave us the history and intrigues behind this problem.

Question: Good afternoon, sir. Please introduce yourself.

Answer: Okay. My name is Davies Ben Chukwunenye the elected and sitting Vice Chairman of Murtala Mohammed Airport Command chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA).

Question: Sir, what is the crux of the matter that is causing the brouhaha at your Chapter of the Association?

Answer: It is about the the insistence of the national body of our association to install Mister Temitobe Akindele who has not actually contested election in our chapter.

Question: When did this crisis start?

Answer: It started in 2018 when 16 of us picked forms to contest various positions in the ANLCA chapter election⁷777⁷⁷⁷777⁷s as along the line, Mister Temitope Akindele sneaked out to somewhere, one Villa Park Hotel in Amuwo Odofin, where a faction of the board of trustees (BOT) that were not actually properly constituted board of trustees of ANLCA as they were not duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission went on to conduct an illegal factional election. Their names were not at registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, but they conducted the illegal election and made him to claim that he won the election as the chairman of MMAC chapter.

Question: Now, do you have the legal rights as you are sitting as the executive of the of the MMA chapter of your association. Do you have any legal document that says your people are the authentic exco?

Answer: Yes we do. Between 2018 and 2022, We have had series of court cases, but they were disposed off by 2022. At the chapter level, yes, we do. The reason for the problem is that the sitting National Executive today and their board do have a mindset that those who did not join them to fight the previous government led by Mister Tony Iju Nwabunike will not hold any position in the Western zone of ANLCA. That has been the problem and we see it that it is not the proper thing to do. We are all joiner members of this association. The Association does not belong to any individual. My right does not supercede another person’s right. We all have rights to be members and join in. Unfortunately, some of the trouble makers today in ANCA were people that just joined ANLCA a few years ago and do not have much at stake.

Question: What documents can you present to show that you guys are still the authentic executive committee members, apart from the fact that you have certificates of returns, is there any kind of, you know, judgment that affirms your position as a true executive of this association at the chapter level?

Answer: On the 26th of April 2024 after National Executive Council (NEC) meeting that ended in deadlock, the National President told us that the issues that generated controversy in that meeting were going to be taken to the National Executive Committee for further discussion, and they were going to revert to NEC, and the meeting was dismissed. Unfortunately, the man, the President went on to swear in Mister Temitope Akindele into office that night by 9.00pm, we have never seen such a thing in the past. So that made us to goongoing. The court has not taken any decision on the matter, but we discovered that after a court order that was issued, you know, to that effect, they kept breaching the orders of the court rather brazenly. The process is still ongoing, but we don’t know why they are disregarding the court order and doing what they are doing now.

Question: Okay, the agencies of government, the police, the Air Force, the DSS, are they informed of what is going on? How?

Answer: What is their role in all this? Yeah, from the onset, since the court order was served to the security agencies at the airport, they have been aligning themselves with the rule of law, and they are 100% obedient to the rule of law and the court order. They are not doing anything to go contrary. Unfortunately, we have a new Airport Commandant who do not have adequate kdnowledge of what has been happening in ANLCA. I think with an advice from the commissioner of police to her, probably she will begin to have a different view of the case, because we noticed that the the BOT Chairman, the person of Alhaji Taiwo Mustafa started using some Naval connections to speak to the woman, making the woman to go on the wrong lane. But now, by God’s grace, we have provided all the documents relating to the court process, and I believe that the woman will have a rethink and change her position as far as this issue is concerned.

Question: Now, what advice do you have to every side of the divide, the chapter, the National, people on your side and the people on the other side?

Answer: Yeah, to our chapter, I want to advise that this matter is not about the chairman Adejare Adewusi Bamgbala. It is not about Ben, it is not about any elected executive committee. It is about our chapter. Everybody in our chapter should stand up, because if we allow Temitope Akindele to be put in office through that controversial and kangaroo election. It will be a big slap to every member of ANLCA at the airport, and I don’t think it will all go down well for us, because it is very clear now that Tony Iju Nwabunike, the immediate past president of ANLCA did not conduct any election that would bring in Temitope Akindele, neither did the sitting president, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, So from what angle is he coming from to become the chairman?

They should just please hold on and let
the sitting Chairman finish his tenure, and the national body should prepare to conduct an election then for MMAC chapter. On the part of the National Executive, I will advise that the national president should think about posterity, we still love him as our president, but nobody, nobody is above mistake. No man is infallible, but there is a need for him and his NECOM to retrace their steps, because a very little thing can damage their reputation and destroy his administration while insisting on bringing in somebody that has not contested election to be the chairman of MMAC chapter, it is not acceptable and they should refrain from taking these steps.

Thank you so very much, sir. My name still remains, Davies Ben Chukwunenye, the elected and sitting Vice Chairman of Murtala Mohammed Airport Command chapter of ANLCA.