National President of ANLCA, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike

TheNational President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike has announced his decision to relinquish the award bestowed on him by the Shipping World Magazine owned and edited by Mr. Asu Beks. He insists that the award remains a tool for extortion and blackmail.

Recall that the Magazine had on December 9, 2020 or thereabout bestowed the Freight Forwarder of the Decade award on the national President of the foremost freight forwarding and Customs brokerage association alongside other awardees.

However, in a statement he personally signed and copy made available to our correspondent, the President said it has become necessary and expedient to renounce such award owing to the myriads of integrity issues that surround both the magazine and its publisher, saying that he cannot definitely be associated with such an organisation and individual to the extent of receiving an award from them.

He also disclosed that this decision was taken after due consultation and advice from well-meaning professional colleagues, friends and family, insisting that the award does not worth more than piece of wood and paper of the plaque and certificate.

The President, who took a swipe at the Shipping World publisher over his unsolicited involvement in the internal goings on in an association he is not a member, described such involvement as part of ploy to blackmail and seek financial gratification as he has always done to anyone, especially CEOs, who come his way.

The statement reads in part: “This is to inform members of the Nigerian maritime community and general public that I, Iju Anthony Nwabunike, National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA hereby renounce the Shipping World award of ” Freight Forwarder of the Decade” bestowed by one Asu Beks.

“This decision was taken following advice from professional colleagues, friends and family members, who are convinced about the very unstable and indecent character of the man, Asu Beks who is publisher of Shipping World Magazine and promoter of the so called award.

“Whereas I am presently out of the country for a self -development exercise, I have directed my aides in Lagos to effect immediate return of the plaque and certificate as I have come to the conclusion that they are not worth more than the wood and paper from which they were made.

“The award is a trap deliberately designed by the publisher of Shipping World Magazine, Asu Beks to constantly blackmail me for financial gratification as he has done to other notable personalities in the maritime industry.

“I frown at the campaign of calumny embarked upon against me and my great association, ANLCA by Asu Beks who always uses my photographs as a deliberate attempt to malign my personality with false and defamatory statements.

“I sincerely expressed surprise at the level of pettiness, bias, subjectivity and flagrant display of bad conduct shown by Asu Beks at all times. He is a bad egg spoiling the noble media profession in the maritime industry in particular and the world at large.

“I can emphatically say that I didn’t solicit for any award from Mr Asu Beks ab initio, even as I expressed skepticism at first when he nominated me.

“Now that I have realised the motive behind the award, I hereby return the plaque, and urge many captains of industry and CEOs not to get closer to such a blackmailer. The award has been discovered to be a trap for persistent blackmail, money begging excuse, endless disturbances and various forms of shameful mercantile practices by Mr Asu Beks.

“Asu Beks has proven without doubt to be a bad example of who or what a journalist should be. He has convinced right thinking persons by his conduct that he is a mercenary writer, who is driven by his insatiable hunger for handouts from paymasters.

“I doubt his training, exposure and experience as a journalist. I dare say, he displays lack of formal tutelage required for journalism practice. I have cause to challenge his academic background too. Surely, he is poorly educated and unwilling to learn.

“Telling lies with ease and coming to apologise whenever he is broke, portrays him as a very inconsistent character. For Asu Beks, the truth is determined by how much you pay. He will only listen to you or ask to be contracted to eulogise you in his medium or on his controlled WhatsApp groups. I don’t need such services from him.

“The number of CEOs that have fallen into this trap are uncountable. So it becomes necessary to cut all ties with Asu Beks, as I will not like or want to associate, or be identified with such a deviant character in the name of being an award recipient from him. I consider associating myself and the noble ANLCA with his person and award which he goes about the maritime industry begging people to accept as inappropriate.

“Asu Beks is not a member of ANLCA. His pettiness and shameful conducts in dabbling into a dispute in an association, which he is NOT a card carrying member is so ridiculous. Like most other associations, the constitution of ANLCA is supreme and no President, or NECOM member can elongate their tenure in office, as being amplified by Asu Beks in his messages of confusion countdown

“It is pertinent to note and put the records straight that, I Tony Nwabunike didn’t amend ANLCA’s Constitution. The amendment of ANLCA’s Constitution, which took place in December 2020, followed due process with approval from NEC and NECOM as the highest decision making organs of ANLCA, even as members of the association consented to it. The process of amendment was not hidden, as maritime Journalists observed the entire procedure

“So, the campaign of calumny by Asu Beks on tenure elongation against me is nothing but cheap blackmail and lies that will not see the light of the day because truth shall always prevail against falsehood and mischief. I have verifiable proofs of Asu Beks beggarly conducts, blackmail tactics and journalism for pecuniary gains. I will never succumb to the whims of such an old, shameless and mischievous liar. My lawyers have been briefed to take him on for libel and I deem this rejection necessary ahead of a legal redress.’’