National President of ANLCA, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike

The National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike has at last broken his long silence over the sealing of the association’s secretariat located within the Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos by some Police officers and dissident members of the association.

In a public statement, which he signed personally and made available to our Correspondent, the President assured members that the leadership of the association under his watch would leave no stone unturned in seeking redress through all available legal means.

While confirming that the Police in conjunction with the national officers of ANLCA are currently taking inventory of losses and damage incurred in the course of the recent attacks by some dissident members and their Police collaborators, the leadership of the association would undertake painstaking efforts in seeking redress through every legal means at its disposal.

Citing the classical biblical dispute involving two women over the true ownership of a baby boy, in which King Solomon proposed that the boy be slashed into two, which prompted the true mother to vehemently oppose the proposal, noted that the true leaders of the association, duly elected by the people would never opt for the destruction of the association by sealing off its secretariat for weeks in order to cripple it.

He also assured that the leadership under his watch would not fold its arms and allow the association to be destroyed, insisting that whatever lawful means available to it must be deployed to seek redress and get justice.

 Iju also argued that as professional Licensed Custams Agents, they are not expected to be thugs or promoter of thuggery to unteash violent attacks on the secretariat of the association, being the foremost body of professionals in customs brokerage business in Nigeria.

The National President also recalled that similar attacks were unleashed on the secretariat on October 6, 2020 by hoodlums armed with guns, cutlasses, charms and other dangerous items, through which the association lost over N20million worth of property while some members and secretariat staffers on ground were beaten up and harassed by thugs hired dissident members.

He however further assured that the leadership is ever committed to the survival, growth and development of ANLCA and will not betray the mandate given to it to oversee the affairs of the association, which expires in April 2023.

The statement reads in part: “I had chosen a dignfied silence from afar over the unwarranted sealing of the national secretariat of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA for the second time in two years but chose to break it due to certain exigencies. One of the reasons is that it is pertinent to appreciate all NECOM members who through the trying period, joined hands with me in working tirelessly for our organisation.

“The Board Members led by the Vice Chairman, Chief Ozo Chukwura, the Patrons led by Chief Henry Njoku, National VP Dr. Collins Farinto, National Secretary, National Financial Secretary and other NECOM members showed their commitment to truth, fairness and loyalty to our great association, all through.

“Worthy of commendation also, is the steadfastness of our Western Zonal Chairman and Compliance Team in the face of the recent impasse. I must conmmend the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, fdc, who ordered the immediate reopening of our secretariat upon hearing all sides to the matter.

“The IGP’s fairness and commitment to peace in ANLCA has been very instructive right from his days as AIG Maritime. It has also become imperative to rebuild confidence in our teeming members and reassure them of absolute reliability of my leadership. There is no leadership tussle in ANLCA. The real leaders and recognised group that would never want ANLCA destroyed are known.

“We are daily reminded to look at the biblical analogy taken from 1 Kings chapter 3:16-28 where King Solomon used his God- given wisdom to adjudicate between two mothers over a disputed child. All that concerned the one who was not the child’s mother was destruction for everyone to lose out by having the baby cut into two parts so each disputing mother will have half of a dead child.

“This never went well with the true mother who would prefer to lose her son to another woman than to have him killed. The real ANLCA leadership and it’s known Board of Trustees who won elections would not be part of arson , wanton attacks on the secretariat and pushing to get it locked up or rejoicing whenever it is sealed. With the Solomon analogy, we know those who prefer that ANLCA be cut into two equal parts like the disputed baby with each useless part held by two sides as a solution without minding if the body survives or not.

“While the Police and our national officers are taking inventory of any loss or damage due to the recent attacks, without accusing anyone, some persons have started faulting our stock -taking move in a panicky display.

“We won’t watch our dear association destroyed while we fold our hands. Whatever lawful means available to seek redress and get justice is what we will perpetually be committed to.”