The National Secretary General of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Chief Festus Ukwu has called on the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Sir Mike Jukwe to compel the factional National President of NCMDLCA, Chief Festus Ejiofor to step down as the National President of the association.
Ukwu who made this call in a letter he addressed to Jukwe dated the 29th day of February, 2016 said Ejiofor’s stepping down had became necessary so as to allow the association’s electoral commission conduct elections into the executive arm of the association without any resistance.
He added that a situation where Ejiofor had continued to run the association for more than six years as the National President of the association without any election to his credit in the association was no longer acceptable in this present democratic dispensation hence the concern of the founding fathers of the association.
He recalled that at a meeting by the founding members of the council which held on the 22nd of February, 2016, in Lagos, members met and deliberated on recent developments in the council and considered the decision of the general house of the council in a general meeting of May 20th and May 27th 2015, where far reaching decisions as it affects the council were taken.
The Council’s scribe noted that chief among the resolutions taken at the meeting by the founding fathers was the nomination and appointment of the five-man electoral commission with Chief Boniface Okoye and Abiola Akiola as Chairman and Secretary of the commission respectively.
He went further to inform that other members of the commission included Stephen Ibe, Uchenna Mmadueke, Alhaji Lameen Aliyu and Chief Chris Agbawodikeizu.
According to him,” They are mandated according to the constitution of the Council to set out an electoral guideline and timetable for the use of the interested members of the council for the purpose of the election. The tenureship of the National Officers of the Council is six (6) years certain for the first and second tenure for officers that desire second term.
“We wish to inform you also that the founding members commend and support the stand of the Board of Trustees of the council for their rejection of the appeals made by the interim National President Chief Festus Ejiofor to give him more time in office before any election is conducted. Chief Ejiofor has been an interim Deputy President since 2009 and was elevated to interim President on May 4th, 2010. Chief Ejiofor is lacking transparency and internal democracy since he was unable to conduct elections into the Council’s chapter across Nigeria. Others are failure to convene meeting of members, poor administration and corruption, converting the council’s properties donated to the council into personal use.
“The Council’s founding members call for the conduct of the elections at all levels of the council before March ending 2016 to return power to the elected President and officials of the council in tandem with the constitution of the council.
“It will be recalled that the removal of Lucky Amiwero, the first incumbent president of the council was as a result of lack of internal democracy, having ruled the council for thirteen good years and still counting. Chief Festus Ejiofor has counted more than six (6) years as the Chief Executive without any election too. This is therefore not acceptable especially at this present democratic dispensation. Hence the concern of the founding fathers”.
Ukwu in the letter which was copied to the Nigeria Customs Service Headquarters, Abuja, Chief Festus Ejiofor and the Acting BOT Chairman of the Council, Chief Austin Kelly, therefore informed the CRFFN Registrar that the date of the election when properly released would be communicated to him so as to enable himbe present at the venue of the election.
It will be recall that the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) has two factions, one being led by the founding President of the association, Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero and the second one led by Chief Festus Ejiofor with each one of claiming legitimacy over the other, which in turn has led to an unending legal tussle between the two factions at different courts of law.
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