A former acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), has expressed strong discontent with the current leadership of ANLCA under President Emenike Nwokeoji, even as he criticized the association’s Board of Trustees abuse of power.
Farinto, who was speaking during a cure with journalists at the weekend, stated that Nwokeoji’s handling of recent internal disputes have been subjective and added the ANLCA Board is overstepping its mandate thereby causing a detrimental impact on the association.
The former Acting President described the conduct of the ANLCA President ‘Nwokeoji and the board as akin to “dancing naked in public” opining that there is an erosion of the President’s authority as he is being overshadowed by the board’s involvement in executive matters.
“From what I am seeing now, it looks like the new board has taken over the role of the president. This should not be the case in a properly run organization. The board’s role is advisory and is meant to support, not overrule or overstep the executive authority of the president,” Farinto said.
He equally highlighted his concerns over the dismissal of the Secretary of ASECO, the ANLCA’s Electoral Commission, without clear justification, questioning the board’s motives in this action which shows lack of transparency and indicates a hidden agenda.
“Who removed the ASECO Secretary? We don’t know. We just saw a letter flying around. This is why I said somebody is dancing naked. We decided to keep calm, but it doesn’t mean we will allow them to continue with illegal acts.”
The former acting president also criticized the entrenched power of certain board members, whom he described as “70-year-old men refusing to step aside.”
According to Farinto, their continued hold on power is leading to a stagnation of ANLCA’s progress and relevance, and their influence has failed to add value to the industry.
While remarking that his tenure was focused on advocacy and progress, contrasting sharply with what he perceives as a period of regression under the current leadership, he added that the conflict over the board’s involvement in ANLCA’s decision-making stems from last year’s board elections, where Farinto alleged the process had been manipulated, with “miscreants” allegedly brought in to influence the outcome.
When asked if he would advise his faction to withdraw from upcoming elections, Farinto did not rule out the possibility, stating, “Yes, because this situation mirrors the flawed board elections we have seen in the past, where outcomes seem decided even before votes are cast.”
He, however, emphasized his desire for fair processes, noting the challenges faced by his allies in previous elections.
