It was a festival of sorts as members of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF and their professional colleagues and friends rolled out drums last Friday to celebrate the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the association, Mr. Chidiebere Enelama who marked his 70th birthday anniversary recently.
The colourful event which attracted NAGAFF bigwigs including the founder of the association who doubles as the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, a former National President of NAGAFF, Dr. Increase Uche, NAGAFF National President, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, former Chairman, Association Electoral Committee, ASECO of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Nze Aloy Igwe, members of the National Executive Committee, NEC of NAGAFF, members of the Elders Council of the association among others, also have the members of the family and friends of the celebrant in attendance.
Speaking in his welcome address, the National President of NAGAFF, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi while welcoming his guests to the occasion thanked all for honouring the invitation which is at the behest of the association.
He however, maintained that because the event centred around the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the association, he would rather hand over the microphone to the founder of NAGAFF who alone was worthy to talk about the celebrant and what he meant for the association.
He thereafter urged all the guests to relax and feel comfortable as there was enough to eat and drink to mark the event.
On his part, the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam stated that the association gathered together in unison to celebrate the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the association, Mr. Chidiebere Enelama, a man who he said played a vital role in the establishment, survival and sustenance of the association in 1999.
According to Aniebonam, “Chidiebere Enelama, in 1999, when I founded NAGAFF, our sister association, ANLCA did not want us to exist and they went to court, got an interim order against us, an ex parte order and their intention was to hold us with that and move forward to get what is called interlocutory order, that is, perpetual order so that when they delay us, our members will all scatter.
“And I said no, this cannot happen and I wrote a 17 page document to the appropriate quarters. This man and Cosmas Chiji, now late, when I packaged the document,I called him and said, Chidiebere, you are going to sign this paper, Cosmas Chiji, you are going to sign this paper but I want to tell you that this paper may lead to your going to jail, you and Cosmas.
“So, when I invited Chidiebere and Cosmas Chiji, I told them that this document can lead to your being jailed but what I tell the two of you, I cannot sign it because I am the leader. And if you go to jail, we are going to work hard to secure amnesty for you and we are going to look after your family until you come out of jail. For the sake of NAGAFF and he signed the paper, Cosmas Chiji signed the paper and the paper was deposited at the appropriate quarters.
“When the judge that was presiding over this very matter was served with that document, the judge said, the people who signed this paper, are they alive? And we said that they are alive and on the adjourned date, Chidiebere came to Abuja and Chidiebere was in court when it was said by the judge that he was deceived into giving that order. And that was the day I learnt one simple language, that lawyers are ministers in the temple of justice and that the lawyers are expected to tell the court the truth.
“So, this man, your brother, is the man who made it possible today for NAGAFF to be alive and so, I am still alive. This man, your brother, what I owe him is to appreciate him and that’s why we are here.
“That’s why when we discussed him, I told him (NAGAFF President) who Chidiebere is to NAGAFF and he said to me, founder, you have been telling me this, it is now or never, we are going to celebrate him. And that is why we are here, to celebrate this man when he is alive. To show you who you are in NAGAFF and that in your lifetime, NAGAFF appreciates you, that you are so dear to NAGAFF.
“On behalf of NAGAFF throughout the federation, we want to thank God that we are alive, we are very grateful to this man, we are happy with you and God will continue to be with you.”
Presenting a birthday gift, a giant deep freezer to the celebrant on behalf of the association, Dr. Aniebonam said, “So, we need to appreciate you. It’s nothing, it is the mindset. That we even thought about it is what you should be grateful for, not what we are presenting to you. If you go by what we present to you, it doesn’t make any meaning. But what is our mindset. I am the leader of NAGAFF and you are lucky that I am still alive to tell these stories otherwise these people will not know.
“So, NAGAFF family has decided, led by Akuyie nwata, the Board, the Elders Council and the entire NAGAFF organization to say thank you for all this. Thank you.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, the eldest child of the celebrant who was full of praise and gratitude to NAGAFF thanked the association for the honour done to their father and to the family even as she extended the family’s heartfelt appreciation to the founder of NAGAFF, the National President and the entire members of the association.
Highlights of the event was the presentation of a giant deep freezer to the celebrant as a birthday gift, dance by the celebrant and his wife, special rendition by the son of the celebrant, performance by the Ogene music, cutting of the anniversary, among others.
Photo: Mr. Chidiebere Enelama, Chairman, Board of Trustees of NAGAFF (3rd left) and his wife in a group photograph during the birthday anniversary event held at NAGAFF Village in Lagos Friday.
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