Much as the chapter executive elections of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA has been concluded and the newly elected executive inaugurated, the Senior Special Assistant to the ANLCA National President on Media, Mr. Suleiman Ayokunle has given reason why the Association Electoral Committee, ASECO did not conduct election into the executive positions at he Airport chapter of the association.
Speaking in a chat with our correspondent in Lagos recently, Ayokunle said that the election umpire for the association did not conduct election at the chapter since the Chairman, Tope Akindele was yet to serve his term following a court judgement.
His words, “By the virtue of court declaration, the judgement declaring Tope Akindele as the substantive Chairman of the Airport chapter, he’s yet to serve his term and so, it will be injurious and it will mean taking away what belongs to him if another election should be conducted when he’s yet to serve his term.
“In the wisdom of ANLCA, the NECOM, the BoT and the ASECO decided to hold on to not conducting the Airport chapter election because Tope Akindele is still a subsisting Chairman of the Airport and he’s yet to serve out his term. So, there’s no vacancy at the Airport chapter currently.”
On why he was throwing up Tooe Akindele’s name as the subsisting Chairman when Prince Bamigbala Adewusi was still laying claim to the office as Chairman, he said, “From the point of view of Adewusi and co, they believe that they still have more months to serve, making reference to the 2020 Constitution of ANLCA. But the current constitution that we are using is the Constitution of ANLCA 2013 that provided a term of three years for all elected officials in the chapters.
“And even when this is still under controversy, in the wisdom of Mr. President, he allowed him and said, even if you have to serve, the three years has expired because, three years is what is contained in our 2013 Constitution and that is supreme in anything within ANLCA. We are guided by the 2013 constitution.”
Reminded that Adewusi was brought into office by the said 2020 Constitution of ANLCA and was supposed to be bound by its provisions and no one else, Ayokunle who is also the newly elected Secretary of ANLCA, PTML chapter said, “The Constitution of 2020 was still under contention because it was done when ANLCA was in disarray. So, the issue of 2020 constitution should not arise. The NEC that is the highest organ in the association agreed that the chapters will only serve a term of three years with an opportunity of re-contesting for a second term. And that is what is contained in our 2013 constitution and the NEC, the highest organ agreed unanimously also, that the 2013 supreme constitution should be our working constitution.
“The NEC has jettisoned and declared as void the 2020 constitution. I remember that even the BoT Chairman was there at the heat of that Airport problem some few weeks back and he said this was not our agreement. He told Adewusi that the agreement is that of 2013 constitution. What we are saying is not about an individual but let’s build an institution and the institution is well guided by the supreme constitution.”
Asked who was occupying the association’s secretariat at the Airport chapter, he said, “The Secretariat, I guess, is under lock but Tope Akindele is the person that is recognized by the ANLCA Headquarters as the Chairman of the Airport chapter.”
On who the members of the association recognized as their Chairman between Akindele and Adewusi, the ANLCA Presidential spokeswoman said, “It is about opinion, even if it differs, we must recall that we are guided by the supreme constitution. The majority will have their way but the minority will still have their say. But the constitution is supreme to every opinion and the constitution has provided for three years tenure for all chapter executive.”
He however, revealed that the ANLCA National President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji and the National Executive Committee, NECOM were not losing sleep over the Lagos Airport chapter imbroglio adding that even the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of ANLCA, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha was showing serious concern.
“Of course I know that very soon, it will be a thing of the past. Adewusi is matured, he knows what is good and what is bad and he knows that the best thing is for him to work in tandem with everyone that means well for the association”, Oyekunle stated.
Photo: Mr. Suleiman Ayokunle, Senior Special Assistant to ANLCA National President on Media.
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