ANLCA NECOM Dissolution: Mustapha Reveals How He Dissuaded Emergence Of Factional President, Denies Working Against Farinto

Alhaji Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman, Board Of Trustee, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has disclosed that in the interest of peace, he personally dissuaded at a great cost to him the emergence of a factional Acting President in the association.

This is as he denied working against the emergence of Dr Kayode Farinto at the forthcoming election of the association.

In a press statement issued on Saturday, Mustapha questioned the rationale behind the NECOM, headed in an Acting capacity by Dr Kayode Farinto, who is also a Presidential candidate in the coming election to remain in office.

He disclosed that a moral issue remains for a contestant or contestants to remain in office to supervise an election they are contesting.

Hear him;

“Dear ANLCA members,

May I seize this medium to extend warm greetings to you all especially those with a sincere desire to see that an enduring peace returns to our great Association.

No doubt, the various platforms had been inundated with comments for and against the NECOM DISSOLUTION. Bearing in mind that leadership is a huge responsibility that demands commitment and sagacity to achieve common good goals, I make bold to further expatiate as follows;

1. The issue of NECOM dissolution had been discussed variously at physical meetings and via telephone conversations and the main reservation of few including the Vice Chairman had been the obvious difficulty of BOT members running the secretariat themselves. But we have to refer to norms and previous practices where the BOT had to decisions in the interest of the common good.

2. But beyond the puerile arguments of who was and wasn’t consulted, the critical issue is about adhering to the tenets of the ANLCA Supreme Constitution as a pathfinder. Section 8 (subsection 2a & b) and I quote:

“EXTENSION OF TENURE:

Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the National Executive Council shall have powers to extend its tenure in conjunction with the BOT as follows;

(a) In any case of emergency, for a period not more than 3 months.

(b) In any case of any controversy or deadlock arising from its inability to conduct an election or from an inconclusive election for 6 months only. But where the emergency or deadlock persists, the Board of Trustees will step in, dissolve and take over cum appoint Administrator to administer the office for a period not more than 6 months and conduct an election.” End of quote.

This matter was made explicitly clear during the meeting called on Monday 10th July 2023 hence it would not have required another meeting to implement it.

3. Beyond all these arguments, we should aver our minds to the moral issues involved. For instance, why is it so important that a contestant or contestants in an election should be in the office to supervise such an election when their normal tenure has expired?

Again, why would people be solely pushed for what suits them without considering the interests and feelings of the other side? Let it be known that it has caused me unimaginable energy and emotions persuading the other side to accept the one-year tenure additional and later three months extension of the NECOM simply IN THE INTEREST OF PEACE.

4. As a person, I’ve done so much in dissuading the other side from taking retaliatory steps (such as holding a parallel NEC meeting in Lagos and appointing their own parallel acting president). That would have truncated the fragile peace ostensibly in place following the CRFFN intervention.

We were all living witness to the bloodshed at Tincan Island Port. But the actions and disposition of some people including those who should ordinarily be called elders are more of personal emotional relationship with some candidates than encouraging the drive for truth and peace.

5. I’ve said it severally that I, Taiwo Mustapha, am not crazy about being in ANLCA BOT or being its chairman but that I feel obligated to use whatever endowment which Almighty Allah has given me to strive for the return of peace to this Association in order to offer protection for our teeming members in the pursuit of their business, and our common heritage.

6. Finally, I will not pick words with Ozor Chukwura on any platform against what he has released.

Conscience is an open wound. As to the choice of Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila, it was arrived at after extensive consultations even as the opposite side had their misgivings that it’s a continuation of the same Farinto arrangement.

But we were guided by the fact that beyond being a capable hand, he isn’t contesting in the coming NECOM election.

He was ASECO chairman for years without any blemish. If Kayode Farinto is not seeing Mukaila Abdulazeez who has worked closely with him in the last five years as a capable hand to run the National Secretariat for the next few weeks, then something is missing. And I also state categorically clearly that I Taiwo Mustapha is not working against Kayode Farinto.

7. In conclusion, I call on all true lovers of ANLCA to keep their Association in prayers for a quick return of peace to our boisterous Association. And also, to pray that the recent interest by CUSTOMS CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL which meeting we are scheduled to attend next week will yield a wonderful dividend.

We stand by our position, but I plead with all to drop our ego and come back to further discussion on the way forward.” the letter concluded