Chukwura said the new Board remains the authentic one having followed constitutional provisions in its establishment, and that he has ordered NECOM to return to work.
By Uzor Odigbo
The new Board of Trustees of the Association of the Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) on Monday described as laughable the claims by the Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha group that it has dissolved the leadership of the association.
The new Board at an emergency meeting in Lagos said Mustapha group has no legal powers to dissolve the leadership of the President of the Association and his Deputy Dr. Farinto Kayode as claimed since the tenure of the board has since ended.
The Vice Chairman of the new Board, Chief Ozo Chukwura who briefed newsmen in Lagos, said that besides, members of the group have since been suspended from the association.
Chukwura described as unfortunate the action of the Mustapha group, adding that the target was simply to continue to create crisis in the association for obvious reasons.
He said that this was despite the fact that Mustpaha group lost all the court cases against the NECOM.
He said that the tenure of the Mustapha led board expired in 2020, yet they have continued to claim to be members of the Board.
He also disclosed that in one of the legal tussles following the board crisis, there was court judgment from the Federal High Court ordering the President of ANLCA not to recognize Mustapha Board in October 11, 2019.
He added that in the judgment the court went on to order that Mustapha should stop parading himself as Chairman of the board.
READ ALSO
Customs seizes 3,154 bags of contraband rice
On the access given to Mustapha group to hold a meeting in the Association secretariat where they made the claim to have sacked the NECOM officers, Chukwura said the Police was misled into giving a counter order to this effect.
He said the Police should have known that the Mustapha group had been suspended from the association for a long time.
Chukwura who said the new Board remains the authentic one having followed constitutional provisions in its establishment has ordered the NECOM to return to work.
The new board also resolved to implement all court cases against Mustapha group.
He said the new board has ordered NECOM to stop any further peace talks with the Mustapha group since all efforts in the past were rebuffed.
The new board also resolved to write to the Inspector General of Police on the issue, detailing all court judgments and its constitution as having been followed to elect the current board.
The new Board also resolved to give details of how Mustapha’s board tenure has ended in 2020.
He said that though the Mustapha board was aware of its illegality, the members have continued in an effort to simply frustrate the administration of the present leadership of NECOM.
The Ag. President of the Association, Dr, Kayode Farinto, who attended the Board meeting accused the Police of being culpable for allowing the Mustapha group access into the secretariat.
Farinto said that particularly, the Commissioner of Police was wrong to have given a counter order to the Divisional Police Officer in the area to allow the group have a meeting in the Secretariat.
He said that before now, the Police had stationed two officers who were manning the Secretariat after the attack early in the year.
He said the CP ought to have known that the Mustapha group had been suspended.
The Secretary of the Association, Alhaji Babatunde Mukaila disclosed that every effort is being made to regain access into the secretariat.
Mukaila said there will be a meeting with the Police on Thursday where CP will be informed of the issues on hand, including the court judgements ordering NECOM not to recognize Mustapha group.
Among members of the new Board attended the Monday Board meeting were Prince Ozo Chukwura Vice Chairman, Chief Kingsley Offor Secretary, Shamsideen Awopeju,
Igbaroola Eniola John, Abel Timothy Ayokunle, Obi Azodo and Chief Igwe Odinaka
