ANLCA BOT Chairman Indicts President Over N35million Biometric Fund

By Kenneth Jukpor

The Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Mr. Henry Njoku has admonished the outgoing ANLCA President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu to do an audit of his administration and account for over N35million generated from biometric exercise for members of the association.

Njoku who was speaking when he visited MMS International Image Centre on Thursday as a guest on MMS CEOs Roundtable, lamented that Prince Shittu’s Achilles heel was his inappropriate utilization of the association’s funds.

Although the BOT Chairman remarked that Shittu was an excellent administrator who took the association to greater heights, he beckoned on the ANLCA President to be more transparent and accountable in his future endeavours especially in public service.

“As a President, Shittu was someone who gave 100% of his time to the association and I can score him 70% on his performance as President. However, the recent interview he granted MMS Plus was full of falsehood especially where he talked the issues that dragged him to EFCC and his assertion that the board frustrated his efforts to change the constitution. He said Elochukwu left him a constitution when he left office but that constitution wasn’t prepared by Elochukwu. It was prepared by ANLCA. If Elochukwu was able to ammend the constitution as President, why couldn’t Shittu do the same? It was because Shittu was very cunning about the amendment. He was trying to muddle-up everything and put in what he wants”

Alleging that Shittu didn’t tell the truth in his interview with MMS Plus, Njoku narrated; “It was the board that was running the association before he came on board. It was the board that made peace to resolve the fragments of ANLCA 1, 2 and 3. The board came to Lagos to hold meetings for several days and nights until all issues were resolved. It was the board that resolved during that time that we must have a permanent secretariat for the association rather than moving from one office to another. It was the board that moved swiftly to buy 3 plots of land which Shittu sold and he said he put in the money in building the ANLCA national secretariat. The national secretariat wasn’t Shittu’s idea. It was a collective idea, besides; ANLCA secretariat at Onne chapter is bigger than the national secretariat”

Reacting to Shittu’s allegation that certain clauses were inserted in the constitution before he emerged as President, Njoku maintained that the constitution was proof read and signed by Mr. Katsina Uzor, Chief Chijioke Okoro, Chief Lawrence Asuko and Shittu’s Vice President, Mr. Emenike Nwokocha.

“Would his Vice President, Emenike have allowed such alteration when he was there to proof read and sign?” Njoku asked rhetorically.

Meanwhile, Njoku urged Shittu to do an audit of his administration and make the findings public, promising that the association would refund him if it was discovered that he spent his personal money to run the association.