SO FAR, ANLCA NECOM HAS GROSSLY UNDERPERFORMED
— Chief Sonniel Onochie
On Wednesday, September 11, being the last day to Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents -ANLCA Board of Trustees election, The Prestige Blended Magazine engaged a Chieftain of the Association, Chief Sonniel Ebonyem Onochie in an exclusive interview on his expectation from the election and his view as regards the performance of Mr. Nwokeoji led National Executive Committee-NECOM.
Enjoy the excerpt.
Sir, how would you rate the performance of Emenike Nwokeoji led National Executive Committee- NECOM after over a year in office ?
“As far as l am concerned, l will give them 20 over 100 because they have achieved nothing so far. The Administration has grossly underperformed. I am a field man, and never have l seen Emenike or any member of his team visit any terminal or tour any Chapter to interface with those in the field and know their operational challenges. They stay back in their air-conditioned offices without providing the needed leadership. Their only achievement is organizing party at the Secretariat every Friday, that is the only thing I see as their achievement so far.
I strongly believe that if we get the Board of Trustees Election right, the narrative will definitely change, I am very optimistic that the election will revive ANLCA if the right candidates are voted into the Board.
Sir, what is your expectation of tomorrow’s election ?
I have actually advised them to go back to status quo which is 4:4:1 but they are insisting they would take all the positions, which is not possible, if they don’t go back to 4:4:1, l pity ANLCA. Since the creation of ANLCA no particular interest or Zone or block has taken it all. Some have formed B9 while others have B5. Who will take us to the Promised Land because we don’t want ANLCA to go back to Egypt again. If we go back to Egypt, it means ANLCA is finished completely, the foremost freight forwarding Association in Nigeria, if ANLCA dies, every other freight Forwarding association will hardly make a headway.
And we should not forget that all of us are joiners in ANLCA, if things are being done very well, there should be individual data of every member, date and year anyone joined the Association. I have been a member of ANLCA for 30 years, and l have been playing active Association politics for 28 years. So l know the internal workings of the Association, l know its in and out. If they refuse to take my advise to go back to 4:4:1, whatever they see on the election day, let them take in good fate. I am still insisting that if we want to get it right, we must go back to 4:4:1.
What’s your take on Chapter elections as regards Zoning and the personalities jostling for the seats?
Chapter elections have not come yet, when it is time we will talk about it. Once ASECO tells us what to do after the BoT election, we will then know how to go about it. All attention is on the BoT election for now. The formation of a vibrant BoT will decide the fate of the Association. And we are all praying we get it right this time for the sake of the Association and for our collective peace.
Do you have any appraisal for the current President of ANLCA?
Well, Emenike Nwokeoji is trying in his way, yes he won the election. We all congratulated him when he won the election, and since then no one has gone to Court to contest his victory. Emenike is based in Port Harcourt, and the headquarters of ANLCA is in Lagos, because of his unavailability most of the time, he has tacitly relinquished power to the Vice President, the Financial Secretary that won election alongside Emenike is in Port Harcourt, who is taking care. For instance the VIN valuation has been jettisoned, and we are now doing 846, it was Dr. Kayode Farinto that made the VIN valuation proposal for seamless clearing of cargo and was defending it everywhere until he left that office, and ever since then, who among the current leadership has spoken against any of these unfriendly policies bedeviling freight forwarders and their business, who has sponsored a bill or a proposal in favour of freight forwarders, none, so what is leadership, is it occupying an office with no clear cut vision for the people and the industry
Honestly speaking, if we mean to get it right in ANLCA we must jettison the idea of winners take all. Emenike’s style of leadership is winner takes all, we decided not to take him to Court because we truly want peace in ANLCA. all these while we are seeing what is happening in the ports, the seaports now look like football pitch because of very harsh policies and no one is talking. At Second Gate those days, they stem 220 containers a day, but today, hardly they stem 20 containers. Sometimes at Ports and Cargo, they stem 10 containers a day or less than that, though it’s not ANLCA’s problem, but not having anyone to speak up on our behalf is indeed worrisome.
How important is the BoT election to ANLCA ?
It is very important, they play advisory role to the NECOM. The body weilds an enormous power and very revered. If we have unbiased BoT members, things won’t go wrong, that is why we need people of integrity, men with conscience and courage, not those that play to the gallery, we don’t need those with ostrich mentality in leadership positions, we earnestly yearn for people who can stand up and speak on our behalf, not those that compromise their integrity over what goes into their mouths and pockets. Freight Forwarders are suffering, they should be allowed to breathe in fresh air, and that can only happen if the right people are voted into the Board in this election.
Do you have candidates in this election ?
Yes, l have my candidates likewise every other person in ANLCA. Others call their candidates B9 and ours is B5. They all know my candidates. Ozo Chukwurah, Kayode Farinto, Otunba Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila, Chief Igbariola, and Alhaji Jimoh Atanda Agboola, these men l mentioned are my candidates and l will work selflessly for their victory.
Besides, we were told that candidates list will be out today, but up until now we are yet to see the list. It is supposed to be made public 24 hours before the election. I am advising ASECO to disqualify anyone whose licence has expired or does not have at all. One must be a CEO, having a functional license to be eligible to vote or voted for, if not, they should disqualify that person. Whatever is in the electoral guideline must be followed to the later. If you don’t have 2024 license, don’t vote, don’t contest. Let the rule be followed to the later, we need to chart a new course in ANLCA for the good of all.
