Contrary to media reports, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has said that it named its New National Secretariat after the Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Dr. Inde Dikko Abdullahi following his transformation agenda in the Nigeria Customs Service as well as his introduction of a home grown clearing process.
The Association which made its position known in a press statement it issued on Monday and signed by the National Secretary of the association, Dr. Emmanuel Ogu Oparah said that the clarification became necessary following some unsubstantiated facts coming from some quarters on how the new secretariat came into being.
Dr. Oparah further hinted that Dikko’s support for ANLCA’s quest for professionalism, his adherence to World Customs Organization/ World Customs Brokers’ Organization (WCO/WCBO)’s directive for customs authorities of member countries to partner with customs brokers in their respective countries and for recognition of his achievements by the Federal government of Nigeria through the award of MON and CFR within his tenure as the comptroller General of Customs further informed the association’s choice of naming its National secretariat after him.
According to him,” our attention has been drawn to spurious allegations, half truth and unsubstantiated facts about the coming into being of our New National secretariat. In order to correct this impression, the general public is hereby notified of the efforts made by the individuals and corporate bodies to the realization of our permanent National Secretariat project”.
He went on to say that the Secretariat project was conceived during the tenure of the past Board of Trustee (BOT) led by Chief Henry Njoku adding that a nine member building committee was set up by the National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, headed by Chief Henry Njoku and Prince Taiye oyeniyi as Secretary.
He further disclosed that the committee recommended that all ANLCA corporate members must contribute #50,000 development levies towards the new secretariat project, source for funds from individuals and corporate bodies including ANLCA members as well as that the highest individual contributor would have the National Secretariat named after him or her.
“These recommendations were validated by the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of 7th of Nov., 2013 at Port-Harcourt and reinforced at various other meetings thereafter”
“Some highly placed individuals in the Oil and Gas industry including the clients of the National President and Chairman BOT who believed in this lofty dream offered to bank-roll the acquisition of the Secretariat but would rather want to remain anonymous to avoid the ugly trend of blackmail, rumors and half truth which is presently trending in the maritime mail”, Oparah said.
The ANLCA Chief Scribe pointed out that among the individuals were a group of friends of the Comptroller General of Customs who chose to remain anonymous but wished to identify with the reforms the Nigeria Customs service and the association were doing for the national economy.
While alluding to the fact that all contributions made through ANLCA Project Account operated jointly with the board which would soon be handed over to the association’s external auditors at the appropriate time, he however commended the staff and friends of ANLCA and all the chapter executives in the 17 chapters of the association for their generous contributions saying that this was an attestation to the respect enjoyed by the National Executive Committee (NECOM) of ANLCA for its uprightness, integrity and commitment to the ideals of the association.
Dr. Oparah therefore advised their detractors to imbibe the culture of working for the common good and not for individual pockets adding that in ANLCA, the wave of change was continuous and that no amount of blackmail would detract them from fulfilling their collective and individual pledges made to members of the association who freely gave them their mandate.
