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By Kenneth Jukpor
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and Fano Shipping Agencies Limited, have begun deliberations on strategies to tackle the myriad of challenges at Nigerian ports.
Both groups started this move on Friday when the acting National President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto led an executive ANLCA delegation in a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of Fano Shipping Agencies Limited, Eze Amb. Damian Emeka Obianigwe.
At the meeting, ANLCA President lamented that the infighting and disunity in the association has created so many challenges in the industry alleging that the Nigeria Customs service (NCS) has taken advantage of the infighting to introduce illegal duties.
He, however, urged the royal Highness who is also the President Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners of Nigerian (ASSIMPIN) to call the Igbos causing trouble in the association to order.
Meanwhile, Farinto revealed that he recently received a divine revelation where God told him, he will remove the fuse of those disturbing the peace of ANLCA and informed Obianigwe that the association remains open to reconciliation.
His words: “We are here for two reasons; the first is that since you’ve been given staff of office we have not had the opportunity to come and say hello to you, because we are your subjects. If there is going to be sanity in the country the traditional rulers know what to do. At ANLCA, we have the understanding when it comes to administration either you are Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa! that when it’s the turn of the Igbos the Yoruba’s must support and when it’s the turn of the Yoruba’s the Igbos must support, to the glory of God before our president travelled out on course, we the yoruba’s that were part of the government made sure we gave him the full support because it is his turn and it could be anybody’s turn tomorrow.”
“Despite the various crisis that happened in ANLCA we stood by your son even when our yoruba brothers said they should go and lynch us, we were at the secretariat, we stood by your son and we thank God we never regretted it, because we sworn to the oath of office to uphold the ANLCA constitution. There have been about 11 court cases against this administration and I give it to our president who tried to accommodate everybody. He extended the hand of fellowship to everyone.”
“Nwabunike set up a committee so that whoever had any grievances could go through that committee, but when somebody hates your guts the person hates it and there is nothing you can do about that. Despite the hand of fellowship the President stretched, some people took that advantage thinking he was a stupid man. He wasn’t a stupid man. He was only trying to be the father of all but we thank God that is now history”
In his response, His Royal Highness, Eze Amb. Damian Emeka Obianigwe, urged the acting President not to be distracted by the crisis in the association even as he commended him for being a voice against the illegal Levy’s introduced by the government.
Obianigwe described the acting ANLCA president as someone who will be the messiah to deliver freight forwarders from the anguish of the NCS, commending Farinto for speaking the bitter truths to Customs and the Finance Ministry.
His words: “My president, if they are not talking about you, that means you are not there yet. Talking about you is a sign that you are doing well, because they want to shake you and try you. Farinto, you have done well and I am not saying it because you are here. I don’t mince words and that’s why I am not a politician.”
“I have given a lot of sacrifices on ANLCA and I will not seize to continue to give my support. You have remembered the elders today, God will remember you. I am going to do my utmost best with my team to resolve the crisis in ANLCA because I want to see ANLCA return to the unity we used to have before and we know it will happen in no distant time.”
He posited that he was going to call Yoruba elders as well as the Igbo elders as well as everyone needed to restore peace and tranquility at the foremost freight forwarding group in the country.
