The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has formally withdrawn its membership of the Maritime Advocacy and Action Group (MAAG).
Recall that MAAG is conglomeration of twelve different associations operating in the maritime sector of the economy who agreed to come together in 2013 for the purpose of articulating a common stand on matters affecting the industry.
Also recall that ANLCA had about two months ago announced its decision to pull out of the group citing inability of the group to carry it along in its activities and using the platform provided by the group in pursuing personal goals on the part of the leadership of the group as its reason for withdrawing, a move which the National Coordinator of the MAAG, Alhaji Alhassan Dantata dismissed as a mere speculation.
But in letter addressed to the National Coordinator of MAAG and made available to Primetime Reporters recently, the Secretary of ANLCA, Dr. Emmanuel Ogu Oparah stated that the association’s decision to pull out from MAAG was one of the high points of a well attended National leaders meeting of the association on the 12th of November, 2014.
Oparah noted that article 5 of a well articulated Press release on the outcome of the meeting stated that the forum also gave approval for the immediate withdrawal of ANLCA’s membership of Maritime Advocacy and Action Group (MAAG) for lack of direction and focus.
According to him,” the membership of MAAG was a voluntary inspite of the MOU signed by ANLCA. It is therefore no longer mere rumour or pure speculations that ANLCA has finally withdrawn from the activities of MAAG for now and may not immediately reverse itself from this decision until otherwise directed by the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of our great association”.
He therefore advised the National Coordinator of MAAG to disregard whatever information that he may be having as contrary to the association’s current position on MAAG’s membership.
