– Otunba, Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila
By Omenihu Alfred fibmn
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Mickey Excellence Nigeria Limited, licensed by the Nigeria Customs Service since the year 2000, Otunba, Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila has recently butressed that what is happening in the Association of Nigeria licenced customs’ Agents (ANLCA) is conflict and bombardment of interests within a container or space against the constitutional framework, hence, beatifying those who say otherwise, ‘ignorant species’. The quintessential freight forwarder, who has been in practice for over three decades made this remark in an exclusive interview by Journalists in his Apapa office while reacting to a question on the disarray and confusion in ANLCA over a period of 4 years which has been given varied of interpretations.
In his words, the outspoken customs’ licenced agent said, “ANLCA is an association that is premised on corporate company membership not individual in line with the constitution. In this situation, you will agree with me that membership is based on equality because every company is registered at corporate affairs commission and licenced by Nigeria customs’service, therefore every notable gladiator in ANLCA is representing a corporate entity with specific interest, hence, discusions at this giant circle will be of corporate interest rather than individual and definitely, such will give rise to actions, reactions and frictions. So what is happening in ANLCA is bombardment of corporate interests within a space”
“Going forward in such situation, what the Association does is to interact and discuss to discern and identify the most beneficial ideas to all. As a matter of fact, what outsiders percieve as crisis to us is simply distractions by some members because the Constitution of the Association is germane and before a member is admitted, he or she is given the constitution to study because the supremacy of the constitution is non-negotiable. Most times, these distractions become distinct when an executive or member tries to bend or jettison the dictate of the constitution to favour personal interest and in such situation, others will start questioning the integrity of such decision because such is unconstitutional. Even when it comes to settling disputes, the constitution has internal mechanism that must be exhausted before external influence. And I bet you such constitional integrity does not exist in any other Association rather what you will see is indiscriminate hiring and firing executives. Even the president in ANLCA lacks the power to hire and fire” he opined
More so, giving an experiential insight into these distractions, the sagacious calm Maritime giant revealed that during their tenure in office, they felt that what normally bring more distraction is the attempt for any admnistration to aspire for second term in office at the end of the first because most members will definitely revolt against such not withstanding that it is constitutional for instance Prince Shittu who was the only president who succeeded with second tenure. “Then I was the chairman of the electoral Committee and I can tell you that the aganda was practically stopped by members but I stood my ground, noting that anyone who wishes to challenge him can contest against him. For this reason, our admnistration suggested a single tenure of five years against aspiration for a second term by any admnistration. Consequently, at our Owerri meeting, we asked members, if we should run for another five years tenure after our first tenure but they objected and rather said instead of another tenure, we should do additional one year making five years and leave, hence the house moved the resolution and it was passed, then we stood by it. But when the distraction stepped in again, people accused us of tenure elongation even when they know that we have constitutional right to run for the new five years tenure. Tongues kept wagging and the distractions intensified. At a time CRFFN and CCC came with strong advocacy to calm the distraction. However, When our tenure was rounding off, I was nominated as Sole admnistrator of the Association from April to September 2023, when until the new executives under the leadership of Chief Emenike Nwokeoji emerged. He ran against Dr Farinto Kayode. Then I handed over and retired back to my office. But as fate will have it, Chief Emenike sent me a letter of appointment to head international relations Committee and biometric ( Record and data) and I accepted the offer” he noted.
Reacting to the question if there are individual enrollment in ANLCA, the articulate freight forwarder noted that under section four of ANLCA’s constitution, “membership of the Association shall be limited to corporate bodies incorporated under the company and allied matters at corporate affairs commission”. Continuing, the man of Excellence who is currently contesting in ANLCA’s BOT forthcoming election informed us that people have been pushing for what can be referred as Associate members which is yet to be constitutional. Furthermore, he buttressed that for one to carry ANLCA’s ID card, one must be a top management staff of a corporate entity with at least three referees in writing. “Of cause, more than one person can register from one corporate entity as long as they meet the constitutional provision but the liability will be on the corporate entity.
However, Otumba Mukaila noted that ANLCA is gradually back from a journey with renewed zeal at the emergence of new national executive last year in charge of day to day governance of the Association under the leadership of Chief Emenike Nwokeoji. His administrative manthra is ‘Restoration’ and he has done marvelously well within the last twelve months.
In another development, the legend further stated that ANLCA is said to be a cat with nine lives though he personally believes that ANLCA has more that nine lives. In his words, he re-affirmed thus, ” anytime and anyday ANLCA remains an association to beat. Anyone saying that they have ran down ANLCA is definitely ignorant of what ANLCA represents. By the time they even understand the new dawn in ANLCA, those people criticizing will be seen as fools. ANLCA, where I belong is where membership is based on principle of equality. It is not where one man can dictate pace for others. If they said ANLCA has been annihilated, what have they done to cover the gap? If they say, ANLCA is sleeping, what have they done standing or awake? What difference have they made? ANLCA habours core professionals. When the government is driving a project like monitory or fiscal policy or policy statement, ANLCA will go back home, look at it critically and advice the governmentby either by memoranda or having meetings. And there is no forum you see any government related agency that has to do with Maritime that you don’t see ANLCA effectively represented either by way of memorada, having meetings or presenting papers.
Giving words of encouragement to all ANLCA, he appealed to them to always respect the rules of engagement. “We all agreed to adhere to the dictate of the constitution as members. The growth of the Association should be a collective responsibility. Again, we should try to understand who is in charge of the administrative and governance of the association especially with the friction that exist between the leadership of the Association and the board of trustees” he concluded
