Prince Ozo Chukwura is not only a top ranking Chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), is also currently the Vice Chairman of the association’s Board of Trustees (BOT). In this exclusive chat with Roamrepporters online, he open up on a lot of burning issues, especially the lack of leadership qualities and power drunk wrong decisions taken by the current President, Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji since he assumed office, warning that , if he doesn’t redefined his steps, ANLCA may be heading to a bigger crises that will destroy the association finally. Excerpt:
EMERGENCY NEC MEETING HELD ON FRIDAY 26TH APRIL:
“We have only two agenda as listed for the NEC meeting, that was ASECO members and BOT election. The meeting was scheduled for 1pm, but it started very late ,after 4pm. There were meetings before the main meeting.
The meeting was inconclusive. It was a stalemate as aggrieved members walked out in anger over the unilateral decision of Emenike to bring in two unqualified members and impose them to be members of the Association Electorial Commission (ASECO), against the wish of NEC members at the meeting ” Prince Ozo Chukwura disclosed.
According to him, the sign that Emenike had a hidden agenda first emerged when the meeting, which was slated for 1 0’clock didn’t start until around 4: 25 pm as some members, who had gone to have another clandestine meetings elsewhere came in late and briefed the president before the NEC meeting started.
“After a long epistle of a welcome address in which Emenike tried to prepare the minds of those in attendance for his hidden agenda, he announced the names of two strange characters who by no means are not qualified as members of ASECO to join the original six members.” We all in unison rejected the choice and objected to the strange practice by Mr. President as the supreme constitution of ANLCA only empowers the BOT members to appoint ASECO members and submit their names to NEC and not NECOM for ratification”.
” The BOT derives this powers from Section 13 of the 2013 constitution of the association.
” We were therefore surprised at the decision of the President to appoint ASECO members.” But Emenike told us he derived his powers to set up ASECO members from section 25 of the same 2013 constitution.
“This was where the confusion started because we pointed out to him that the section he relied on only empowers him to “Set Up” and not to “Appoint”.
“We educated him that from time immemorial, it was the BOT that appoints ASECO members and submits to NEC for ratification.We also pointed it out to him that the power to “Appoint” is more powerful and supersedes the power to ”Set up” which he derives from section 25.
” However, he insisted and maintained its position to bring in these two strange characters Francis Itua and Abayomi Ajibola) who he apparently wanted to do his biddings as ASECO members.
”Curiously, he wanted to make one of them, one Francis Itua, who clearly did not qualify as his practicing licence is just some weeks old as against the stipulated five to ten years, to become the chairman of the ASECO, while the second person I do recognize, is slated for the position of Secretary.
“However, in order to give peace a chance, we gave the President option B, which was to retain the former six members of ASECO without bringing in other persons while they may appoint their Chairman and Secretary or if the President wish to do so, he was given the opportunity of appointing the chairman and secretary among them”.
” But Emenike rejected this option, insisting on bringing in these two stooges of his to ASECO. At this point, the Secretary of ANLCA, Mr Olumide Fakanlu, asked the President to overrule the NEC and imposed his stooges on ASECO.
” True to the advice of his Secretary, Emenike pointedly announced that he has overruled NEC and that his decision to bring in his stooges stays.
“This was despite the vehement protest of the Chairman of the Western Zone, Mr Femi Anifowose.” At this point, most attendees, including myself, walked out of the venue of the meeting, surprised at the despotic attitude of the President.
NEW CRISES MAY ERUPT IN ANLCA
Ozo Chukwura warned about the impending new crises in the association if the President does not rescind some of his unilateral decisions, including the one he made on the reconstitution of ASECO and his unilateral decision to dissolve the legally constituted Executive members at the Murtala Mohammed Airport Chapter of the Association.
” I distance myself from the unilateral decisions of Mr President which to me is a recipe for anarchy and chaos in the association.”If not rescinded, it could lead to a resurgence of litigations by aggrieved members who are at liberty to approach the courts to seek redress” the ANLCA chieftain warned.
Prince Chukwura bemoaned the arrogant attitude of Emenike since he emerged in what he described as highly compromised election as he behaves like a demi-god.
He raised the alarm that the administration of Emenike has jettisoned the role and conditions of the peace process facilitated by the Customs Consultative Council (CCC) which helped to broker peace that gave way to the election that brought him in as President.
WHY ANLCA JETTISONED THE PEACE PROCESS STARTED BY CCC
On why the Customs Consultative Council (CCC) did not continue the peace process of aiding ANLCA to conduct BOT election, after the NECOM election as agreed in the peace deal in Abuja.
Prince Uzo Chukwura said
that as the president is being teleguided by Chief Elochukwu who has said that the association has no need for CCC again as they can no longer dictate to them, the Emenike Nwekeoji-led administration has completely desecrated the terms and conditions of the peace deal brokered by the CCC.
”During the peace arrangement facilitated by the CCC, it was agreed that since the Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha -faction has taken the chairmanship of the BOT, the presidency should be zoned to the Dr Farinto faction.
“But they quickly brought in Emenike from nowhere to contest the election against our candidate and he won.
“The CCC also said that after the NECOM election, the BOT election should be conducted within a month before the chapter elections. All these were kept in the breach after Emenike became the President.
“We allow this breach of agreement to slide for peace’s sake.”Also, it was decided that ASECO should be constituted with eight members, four from each faction, while Dr Farinto faction should produce the chairman. No sooner did Alloy Anukwuru become the chairman, than he died.
“Our replacement in the person of Nze Aloy Igwe was eventually frustrated to resign.”He was never allowed to work as a series of allegations and accusations were thrown at him until he was forced to resign.
“Now, Emenike and his group wanted to impose their stooges on ASECO, made them chairman and secretary respectively to do their bidding in the BOT and chapter elections coming up.
“This is the bone of contention and a sure way to return the association to the much-avoided crisis” Prince Ozo Chukwura disclosed.” We have overlooked so much of their excesses and desecration of the peace agreement to allow peace to reign.
“During the NECOM election, they doctored and padded the voters register with strange names, including those who do not qualify or have valid licenses and allowed them to vote. They went as far as including the Ijora chapter that is dead and brought in people under the dead chapter to vote.
“They allowed people who were not qualified to vote, people who have not contributed anything to the association, they were given a waiver to vote, while our people were disenfranchised.”Though we protested, the CCC asked us to give peace a chance and we did.
“But now they want to overreach themselves and reopen the old wounds which we shall revisit if need be” the ANLCA chieftain warned.
He also lamented that all his entreaties to the ANLCA President to reconcile all the aggrieved members were ignored.Prince Ozo Chukwura however advised Emenike and his lieutenants to work towards peace in ANLCA as his current action is capable of filtering away the little gains achieved during the period of the fragile peace in the association.
Part two of the Prince Uzo Chukwura interview coming .
