- Mukaila explains financial dealings, submits bank statements to Police
As the Board of Trustees (BoT) election for the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) draws nearer, the executive leadership of President Emenike Nwokeoji is probing the administration of his predecessor, Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike over alleged financial recklessness.
The probe is being carried out through a Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) petition instigated by ANLCA National Secretary, Mr. Olumide Fakanlu and was written for the Murtala Muhammed Airport Chapter (MMAC) of ANLCA, which was the only financially responsive Chapter under the former ANLCA executive leadership of Tony Iju.
ANLCA’s former National Secretary, Otunba Babatunde Mukaila, who featured prominently in the Police petition disclosed this during a press conference in response to a recent online media publication with the headline: “Conspiracy, Stealing of ANLCA Money Trails Mukaila, Days To BoT Election.”
Mukaila, however, explained to newsmen on Friday that although he was invited by the Nigerian Police, he recounted a different experience as captured below:
“In the year 2022 aggrived Western zone members violently attacked the National Secretariat in the month of February which resulted in Police locking down the Secretariat between March and May 2022 in the first instance before reopening”
“Subsequently, in August of 2022, the same aggrieved western Zone members and some factional BOT members violently attacked the secretariat and installed an interim National President- Pius Ujubounu and Joe Sanni as the interim Secretary before the police moved in and locked down the Secretariat between August to 28th December 2022 when Tony Iju led Administration was able to reopen the National secreatiat.”
While noting that these facts in the public dormain, Mukaila noted that former ANLCA executive leadership kept their faith in the association and ensurd all salaries were been paid, including those of the Police orderly on guards.
As the administrative head of the National Secretariat, Mukaila noted that he had to pick all the administrative expenses while all these challenges and shutting down of the association’s head office lasted.
Mukaila equally clarified that there was no reference to the N500million captured in the online media report.
His words: “I got an invitation letter through the ANLCA National Secretariat to the Nigerian Police. I got this invitation letter on August 7th, 2024. It was sent to the ANLCA National Secretariat.
Reading out the content of the Police letter, Mukaila said: “The Police Special Fraud Unit is investigating a case wherein your name features prominently. You are hereby invited for an interview with the Commissioner of Police on Thursday, August 8th 2024 by 2pm. This request is prepared at urgent requirement and you’re requested to treat with utmost urgency.”
Noting that he wasn’t in Lagos at the time, the former ANLCA National Secretary made himself available to the Police on the next Monday, August 12th, 2024 and demanded to see the petition.
“I was told that the petition was for ANLCA Murtala Mohammed Airport Chapter and myself as the National Secretary under Tony Iju-led administration became a person of interest. The Police letter was addressed to me personally but in care of ANLCA National Secretariat. So, I forwarded the letter to the ANLCA National President, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji and National Secretary, Deacon Olumide Fakanlu”
“The ANLCA President said he wasn’t aware of the Police petition and asked me to find out who wrote the petition, National Secretary also claimed ignorance of why the police has invited me. Since, I knew the invitation was from the Police Fraud unit, I went to the meeting with my bank statement for the period from Adewusi’s emergence as Chairman, MMAC until my exit as the Sole Adminstrator of ANLCA.”
“The Police asked for vouchers for the period but I pointed out that I was no longer in office and advised them to write to the ANLCA National Secretariat for the vouchers. I equally wrote to the Secretariat to make available the vouchers to the Police to aid their investigation. My letter to the ANLCA Secretariat requesting for the vouchers is available.”
“On my second visit to the Police station, I stressed the need to know the petitioner, the police arranged a meeting for his or her appearance and was shocked to discover that it was the National Secretary, Fakanlu. The legal adviser of the Western Zone during the period of leadership tussle was also a signatory.”
“At the end of the meeting, the Police discovered that the issue was an internal association fracas and they referred us to solve the matter within the association. The ANLCA National Secretary, however, revealed that the ANLCA President, Nwokeoji had directed that the matter should be taken to court,” Mukaila explained.
While stressing that the timing of the petition and recently published media report is an orchestrated scheme to distort his contest for the ANLCA BoT, Mukaila described the development as a failed ploy.
He, however, explained that the monthly dues from the MMA Chapter was initially pegged at N700,000 Financial Review Committee but the Tony Iju administration had beckoned on Chapter Chairman, Prince Bamgbala Adewusi to kindly raise its commitment to N1million monthly because the other chapters in the Western Zone didn’t make any financial commitment to the ANLCA Secretariat at the time.
“There were several times when I had to bear the fiscal burden of paying workers salaries and operational cost especially during all the periods of attack when the bank instruments – cheques and others were not accessible because of Police locked down the National Secretariat. Only MMA chapter hadn’t paid their dues. I didn’t participate in any N500million fraud with Adewusi and the Police never said so. While not holding brief for Adewusi as the Chairman and chief accounting officer of MMAC, he is empowered constitutionally under Section 12 to administer his chapter funds and must definitely defend his actions and attend to police investigation.”
“I dare say MMAC Chapter was the only financially responsible part of the Western zone during our administration and he wasn’t owning the Association as at the time we left office.”
“I have also heard rumours that Adewusi is bankrolling my campaign or he has been bankrolling me; but I have submitted my bank statement to the Police and they haven’t made such claim. If anything, I can say I was bankrolling the ANLCA Secretariat during the segmented periods of attacks enumerated above while the same people filling petitions wouldn’t contribute a dime to the National Secretariat, rather they were sponsoring attacks on the secretariat with guns and charms with fake ANLCA ID card issued by same aggrieved western zone members to OPC” Mukaila argued.
He concluded that a total sums of N3,620,000 representing monthly dues was recieved by him from MMAC account as monthly dues as follows;
1,000,000 in March 2022
1,000,000 in April 2022
700,000 in September 2022
600,000 in December 2022
200,000 in December 2022
100,000 in December 2022
This period clearly was during the attacks with no access to the Secretariat, whearas the Police orderly, 8 members of staff salaries and utilities bills had to be paid as approved by the then Acting National President, Dr. Kayode Farinto, amid the locked down orchestrated by aggrieved Western Zone member, Mukaila argued.