The seeming fresh air of peace being enjoyed for nearly one year now in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) may soon evaporate into the thin air as an ANLCA chieftain, chief Dennis Okwu has alleged a clandestine and orchestrated plan hatched by some people whom he described as wearing the toga of “The Nine Billioniares” in the Association, fighting tooth and nail to stop his aspiration as one of the contestants in the September 2024, forth coming ANLCA BoT Election to pave way for themselves and their cronies.
Speaking to some select journalists on Tuesday in his office in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, Okwu wondered why he would be schemed off from the election having paid the mandatory N1.5 million naira expression of interest form. Allegedly saying that ANLCA has been hijacked by one family.
His words “Let me tell you,some people feel they are the only ones that are supposed to be in ANLCA. During the last NECOM election, many things went wrong but because we want ANLCA to speak with one voice, we didn’t go to court to challenge the election.
Personally I have 1000 reasons to go to court, but I said no, for Peace to reign. Some of us should be commended for that, but instead what we are seeing now, is an ANLCA that has been hijacked by one family.”
“ANLCA is in comatose and we suppose to know what is happening in ANLCA “
Continuing, he said ” Let Emenike Nwokeoji, the ANLCA National president come and tell us what he has done in ANLCA for almost one year now. We want to see his scorecard, only what is there, is ANLCA that has been hijacked by Earnest Elochukwu and his family, the National president is there as a puppet to Elochukwu’s family” he averred.
Piqued by the development, he said he purchased his form early enough to contest for the election, but because of the alleged clandestine plot ab initio to disenfranchise him from contesting, the ASECO member that was supposed to give him from here in Port Harcourt insisted he should collect the form from Lagos even as according to him, the said form was in Port Harcourt.
He noted that sensing the effect such could have , he wrote a letter to the ASECO chairman and specifically copied to ANLCA National President Mr Emenike Nwokeoji explaining why the submission of his form could be delayed.
He disclosed that they received the letter before the deadline, challenging anybody to the contrary to come out and deny it.
“ASECO Chairman, Mr Obiora Elochukwu and the ANLCA National president Mr Emenike Nwokeoji should deny receiving the letter”
He added that eventually the form was delivered through DHL 4 days after the expected time. The election should have taken place on August 1, 2024,but was shifted because of #EndBadGoverance protest, but if they were sincere, they should have equally shifted the completion and returning of the form.
All efforts made according to him to compel ASECO to collect the completed form was rebuffed as the electoral body cited late submission of the expression of interest form.
Chief Dannis Okwu, the Chairman, chief executive officer of Sweet Apple Nigeria Limited, a licensed customs Agent, was the former ANLCA Chapter Chairman, Port Harcourt Area 1 Customs Command, ANLCA Zonal Coordinator, Eastern Zone and also served as the Assistant National Secretary said all his pleas and explanations hit the brick wall as the so called ASECO could not consider the delay was not his fault. “That was why I went to court”
Wondering Why chief Elochukwu should bring his younger brother Obiora Elochukwu who he said was new in the freight forwarding business, to superintend over such an Election,he said it then dawned on him of the plot to railroad the likes of Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Chief Ernest Elochukwu, Mr Dennis Okafor, and Alhaji Dayo Azeez among others into the board where most of them have been since 2014.
He said Chief Ernest Elochukwu and his group should come out clean and declare when their tenure will expire as members of ANLCA BoT, having clinged to the BoT position since 2014.
“The Four persons I mentioned above have been sworn – in for two times and the constitution stipulates that any member of ANLCA can occupy the position of BoT for two terms of six years each making at least twelve years, but these individuals have been there for more than ten years. Are they telling us they will continue to occupy the BoT position for seventeen years or more? “
That would open up another floodgate of litigation, I am assuring them of that” He vowed.
On the action taken so far, he disclosed he has gone to court to challenge what he described as a backyard plot to Disenfranchise him from the election saying ” Who is afraid of Chief Dennis Okwu?” Yes I ask, who is afraid of Dennis Okwu? “
He reiterated that unless the ANLCA constitution was followed to the later, ANLCA might be heading to the time of Elochukwu’s tenure as the National president when the Association has more than 5 factions.
Even as he insisted that the essence of the Association which was formed in 1954 , was to cater for the interest and welfare of members but regretted that the reverse is now the case as members were left to their fate especially during this present administration.
Concluding, he said, “we are all joiners in this association, nobody or group of persons should intimidate or stampede others into submission.”
“I therefore enjoined all relevant authorities and stakeholders to prevail on the ASECO to ensure a level playing ground for every contestant in the election so as to enshrine true democratic norms of equity , justice and fairplay in the Association.
But when contacted by our Correspondent, the National president of ANLCA, Mr Emenike Nwokeoji said he can not discuss the matter as it was already in court saying ” did the man in question tell you he has gone to court?” When responded in affirmative, he continued ” as a journalist you should know that once an issue is in court, it would amount to subjudice if I comment on it, do you want the court to jail me? When I get to the court, I will tell them what I know about the issue” Emenike said.
On his part, the ASECO chairman, Mr Obiora Elochukwu says “whatever he tells you, is subject to the outcome of the matter that is already in court, I can’t preempt a matter that is already in court.”
On whether the case will affect the September 2024 BoT Election or not, he said, “This is a law abiding association, whatever the court decides, we will abide by it” “When we get to the bridge and now the court is the bridge, when we get there we will cross it”
“But to say the least, he doesn’t have any legal jurisprudence to determine if I am qualified or not to be the ASECO chairman. All he is saying concerning the Association being hijacked, is based on sentiment and his imagination” We will get to the court and the court will determine “He submitted
By Bon Peters
Port Harcourt, Rivers State
