The immediate past National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, is well versed in international business and administration cum management. Shittu, who was succeededin office by Tony Iju Nwabunike, in this interviev with The Niche Correspondent, Uzor Odikpo, narrates his views on Nigeria’s trade relationship with its neighbours, his experience in the association and other issues.
Excerpts:
How would you assess Nigeria’s economic relationship with the neighbouring nations of West Africa since the closure of its borders?
From what is happening now, you will notice that Nigeria’s neighbourshave adopted quiet conspiracy and silent diplomatic blackmail intended to force Nigeria to reopen the border without signing good conduct undertaking; so that at the end of the day, the purpose of the whole exercise will be defeated.
This is very insulting and this may be part of the reasons government is reluctant to reopen the land border.
Should Nigeria tolerate this kind of behaviour?
We must put sentiments aside and call these peoples bluff, they need us to survive.
They should be made to respect our concerns and not abuse us or take our lax in the past as license to do as they wish, Nigeria should not allow that. As citizens, we need to continue to support government to continue to take decisive steps and to maintain current measures in place to sustain our struggle to grow our economy.
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Last year, you believed that government was doing the right thing. It’s been a year and two months, are those goals and objectives you identified with still intrinsically valid concerning border Closure?
Let me answer you in a roundabout way. Aliko Dangote and some industrialists came together and met our neighbouring state, Benin Republic, to see how the border issue will be resolved. Nigeria cannot be a dumping ground, Dangote and co agreed. But what happened? Benin turned down the intervention.
You mean our neighbouring states refused to endorse an undertaking to check influx of imported items through their territory?
You know the likes of Dangote are in position to advice government that is why you hear of statements like ‘government will take a decision soon’. The neighbours have been turning down Nigeria’s demand. They don’t want to give us guarantee that armed bandits will not be passing their country into Nigeria.
What is our demand?
That your country should not be giving support to smuggling, dumping of foreign goods in Nigeria should not be supported through your country. They said they cannot give guarantee.
If you were in President Buhari’s shoes, what will you do?
That is why the status quo is been maintained. Nigeria is saying they should put it down in writing so that the agreement can be domiciled in the United Nation, they say no.
But their economy is suffering because they rely on Nigeria, and some Nigerians are suffering because that’s the way of their business.
Now you need to place it side by side, which one is weightier?
It means they cannot guarantee our lives, they don’t mean well for us.
So it’s a dicey situation that seem to support that the sanction should remain.
They (neighbouring states) are making it difficult. That it has been like that for a century doesn’t say it must remain so. We need to wake up and take our destiny back, Nigeria has the potential to be a global economic power in terms of production and export capacity. Just imagine that you are in your house and you have a neighbour who is very hostile, despite your virtuous disposition. Okay don’t allow this people pass through my compound, he says no, I cannot guarantee you that they won’t pass through your compound.
Then, wouldn’t you erect fence and gate your compound?
It stands to reason.
Good, that is what this government is doing. I am not in government but I am just looking at it from an objective scale. The population of those suffering based on this border closure, if you compare it with the lives of 200 million Nigerians, it is negligible.
How do you advise Nigeria should go about opening the closed borders and for what reasons?
Nigeria should engage in sub-regional supply of trade items from Nigeria, the federal government should adopt international approach to resolving the issue. The continued closure has sent a number of Nigerians to their grave.
We are not happy that our neighbours are not responding to demands by Nigeria, we are appealing that the demands should not be too harsh. On the hand we think that if the United Nations and European Nation are involved, maybe they can convince Benin to sign the agreements.
Some of us supplying vegetables, drinks and juice are suffering; some of us have even died. Government should help us and review some of the demands so that we can move forward. You will notice that smuggling is still going on, smuggling will not stop.
Government needs to rework our own security system to respond to border crimes, that is how it is everywhere, you cannot be asking another country to protect your border or guarantee that criminal foreigners should not come near our border.
Could you update us on the crisis rocking ANLCA?
It was part of the scheme of Henry Njoku, a prominent member of ANLCA, to rule through proxy.
Everybody including NECOM, BoT, Western Zone chapter, individual gladiators including Nwabunike and myself is tired of ANLCA crisis; but Njoku has a way of smouldering the ember of the crisis.
Few days back the issue of what you left in ANLCA’s account came up sequel to the ongoing differences among various gladiators. Is there a constitutional required minimum that must be in the account?
No, there is nothing like that. Let me tell you, the project account is different from the account of the day-to-day running of the association. That was what they said was not handed over. They should go and check; that account was handed over to them. Let me give you an update for you to understand the purpose of the mischief, which they have resorted to because they do not have the capacity, just like many have said, to provide leadership for ANLCA. It’s apparent they needed somebody to hang their failure on. And because I decided not to get involved. Recall that in one of my interviews, I said because of my style of leadership, which encapsulates purpose and focus, quite a number of members didn’t like me, the Igbo and the Yoruba alike. So the best thing is to play the middle way and be on my own. They wanted to drag me out at all cost. That is why they are doing all these. When I came to office, there was no paper, nothing.
Njoku held the reign for two years after Elochukwu left office, and didn’t hand over a thing. Everywhere ANLCA was until my coming into office was on tenancy and they usually throw us out. The first week after the election, I got that place. I raised a bank draft to get the former secretariat. I furnished it partly with my secretary.
That was how we set up that place from scratch and ended up with a secretariat.
Did you leave only N140,000 in office?
What is N140, 000.00?
That must be my money that I forgot. The set up of ANLCA is such that chapter chairmen are required to source money either from their own personal pocket or from anywhere; or they have what is called association jobs. So certain amounts are attached, some chapters N300,00 and some N50, 000. Murtala Mohammed International Airport chapter that is raking almost N10 million to N12 million every month, they pay N500, 000. The genesis of that Secretariat is predicated on the fact that people don’t need…they say they don’t need a secretariat, why don’t we share the money? But how did we get the money?
The money didn’t come in bulk, like say ‘take now’, it came in trickles. Their own was that I should gather it and let’s share. I said no, we must have a legacy.
Even the secretariat we have in Onne, they say that one is enough for national use. They say ‘shebi you are a Port Harcourt guy, you can operate from there.’ So what I am trying to say is that I am just being a victim of somebody spoiling your name for whatever reason to suit them. So if they find N140,000 there, it must be forgotten money because nine months to the end of my tenure no chapter chairman was paying.
They are still alive. All those stipends; I call them stipends because the money was not enough for all the travels l did, even the National Secretary benefited from my pocket.
Is it not ashamed to them that ANLCA is not worth more than N140,000 at some point?
Those chairs in the conference room, I traveled abroad, I bought them. I freighted them down. You know, they wouldn’t know the damage they are doing to themselves, not me, until it is too late. But to cap it all, this is an area you need to get a catch.
The treasurer, our National Treasurer when I was in office for eight years is Alhaji Bojuri, he is the SSA Finance and Planning to Tony Nwabunike now.
Really?
O yes! Dada Agugodu was our former Financial Secretary. He is now Nwabunike’s treasurer. So if among those who have worked directly on issues of finances with me are with you now, even John Oforbike, who is still the Western Zonal Coordinator, was in charge of physical infrastructure maintenance, building repairs of the secretariat.
He is one of the people I persuaded to bring money from their pocket, and the late Prince Oyinlola; they were offering financial support.
So you cannot ask them?
Because they must have told him that this man spends money from his pocket, they don’t believe it. The idea was money must be pouring in from somewhere, most of them didn’t know that I was spending my money.
So believing money was coming in from somewhere, they rushed there. Even the madam at ENL they went to ask her how much they were giving me every month. I heard the woman told them, if only Shittu will collect money, she would have given him.
