TRIBAL SENTIMENT APART; CHIBUZO OGAMBA IS BETTER AND READY TO SERVE AT KLT CHAPTER
By Mcanthony Onuoha
As Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA) gets ready for its Chapter elections scheduled to take place in the month of February, 2025, expectations remain extremely high amongst industry stakeholders.
Just recently, an obnoxious and highly divisive statement was made by one of the Royal fathers in Lagos State, which majority of industry stakeholders described as “a personal opinion that should be jettisoned”. The Royal father, in a campaign rally of one of the Chapter Chairmanship candidates, stoked up ethnic bias targeted at causing disaffection not only in ANLCA but among maritime Practitioners. The directive of the Royal father was that no one from other ethnic groups should be allowed to chair any Chapter or occupy any leadership position in Western Zone apart from the Yorubas.
That incendiary rhetoric did not only come as a shock to many, but has continued to form the agenda at some ethnic gatherings ever since. Unfortunately, the Royal father never considered the very fragile peace that currently exists in ANLCA after over four years of misunderstanding, power tussle, squabbles, quagmires , acrimonious bickerings and anarchy that led to unending Police summons and series of court cases that kept delivering injunctions and caveats.
Of a truth, passionate and genuine Chieftains and members of ANLCA, should be praying for, and preaching lasting peace and unity, not only during electioneering but beyond the period of elections. The elections should not be seen as a battle among ethnic groups but as an association elections
Association is defined as a group of persons who share common interests or a common purpose, and are organized with varying degrees of formality. Association is a group of people organized for joint purpose. A connection or cooperative link between people or organizations.
Another words for association are: relationship, connection, link, bond, interdependence, union, affiliation, cooperation, interrelations, etc.
From the above, we now know why people come together to form associations. In the definition and synonyms given above, there is nothing like chaos, disunity, divisiveness, discrimination, or ethnic profiling sighted, which means that any of such vices is alien and strange to the core essence of forming “ASSOCIATION”.
The only way an association can move forward is to see one another as one family regardless of colour, religion and ethnicity, for any association that does not find joy in riding on a “peace horse” is doomed and is not fit to be addressed as an association.
Before the incendiary statement, there was already an existing understanding amongst members of ANLCA, a leadership sharing formula existed, which informed the long standing decorum that the association enjoyed before the protracted squabbles that later characterized and truncated Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike’s Administration. As it is, the instigating statement which is similar to the various hate speeches made during 2023 general elections by those who unfortunately, occupy various political offices in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration today. Statements that kept telling us that we are not one. statements that suggested that a particular people should not be involved in politics, but only pay taxes and contribute to State development. This is unacceptable !
As candidates line up for ANLCA elections at various Chapters, members must look at credibility and never close their eyes on humility, prudence, accessibility, consistency, probity and genuine love for humanity, regardless of status. All these qualities and attributes are possessed by one of the Chairmanship Candidates of Kirkiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Chapter, Hon. Chibuzo Valentine Ogamba, Rff, FITMT. Seasoned freight forwarder and logistics expert. Ogamba is a young man who is so passionate about ANLCA and has demonstrated so much capacity in all the positions he occupies outside ANLCA. Former Financial Secretary of ANLCA, KLT Chapter, and MD/CEO of over four registered and functional companies, a philanthropist and lover of peace and progress.
To be closer to his professional colleagues, Hon. Ogamba left his well furnished office at Eleganza plaza and secured another office space at the heart of KLT, Phase 2, which he stylishly furnished for consultation, with a help desk and intended sundry interventions, that move alone is an attestation to his preparedness. Ogamba is ready to reposition KLT Chapter for greater glory.
Tribal sentiment must be jettisoned, members must see beyond that and go for a leader with elastic abilities, empathy, great sense of hospitality and humor. Ogamba’s community spirit and camaraderie are unparalleled. His benevolence is known not only amongst his friends, but also in his home town, where he was conferred with a chieftaincy title at a very young age, “Madu ka eji aka nke izizi (the 1st) of Akpo Kingdom.
Ogamba is not the violent type, but very courageous and intelligent, he knows how to win the hearts of people, and his humility has endeared him to many. Highly detribalised, and that is why he has never for once, stoked up ethnic sentiment in the course of electioneering, he has remained very focused at issue based campaign, telling the Chapter what he is capable of doing. Anyone that knows Ogamba would be proud and confident to present him to anyone who is in search of a man who says a word and stands by it, a man whose words are his bond. Call him at the wee hours of the night, the same answer he gives you will be the same he will give you in the morning hours. Ask me of a man of integrity and honour and l will present to you Honourable Chibuzo Valentine Ogamba, Rff, FITMT.
ANLCA KLT, the time for genuine leadership is now, and the better choice is Honourable Ogamba, he is poised to bring relief to the Chapter, the narrative will change for good with Honourable Chibuzo Valentine Ogamba as Chairman. Shun ethnic sentiment, jettison every theory of divisiveness and focus on genuine leadership, vote Ogamba as Chairman, KLT Chapter of ANLCA.
