The 5-year leadership feud at the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) ended yesterday as the Governing Board Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni was able to broker a peace-deal.
Four (4) Board of Trustee (BoT) members from each side were amalgamated and inaugurated as a new BoT for the association to serve for a tenure of six years.
A major milestone in attaining peace was the decision of Prince Taiye Oyeniyi to step down as a BoT member and he was subsequently decorated as a Patron of the association.
During the ANLCA AGM which held in Lagos yesterday, an electoral committee was also inaugurated comprising 2 members from the previously dissenting parties while the CRFFN Chairman, Tsanni would play the role of Electoral Chairman and the Acting Registrar of CRFFN, Mrs. Chinyere Uromta as Secretary.
A broader meeting to be attended by all members of the association is also scheduled to hold in two weeks in a bid to address other conflicting issues in the association and to prepare for election of new National Executives.
Speaking at the event, CRFFN Chairman, Abubakar Tsanni also urged all ANLCA members to update their membership with CRFFN before Thursday next week to enable them participate in upcoming meetings and elections.
Tsanni also reiterated that only members who possessed licences and had updated their registrations will be allowed access into the impending meetings.
Speaking with newsmen, Tsanni said, “Today, what we have seen is a divine intervention from God as all the parties agreed to end the crisis which has lasted for more than 5 years. We have inaugurated a BoT of 8 members and all parties have returned to the one big and influential body. The meeting to hold in two weeks is in continuation of other processes as we deliberate on the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and modalities for election of National Executives”
Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Acting President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto and Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha encouraged all ANLCA members to embrace peace even as they lamented that the practitioners has suffered from lack of quality leadership as a result of the ANLCA crisis.
On her part, the Acting Registrar of CRFFN, Uromta expressed delight at the development while extolling the leadership of both parties for their willingness to make sacrifices in interest of the association.
Uromta also observed that CRFFN has also been affected by the chaos at the most populated freight forwarding group with compliance to the Practitioners Operating Fees (POF) hampered by the conflict.
The delighted CRFFN Ag. Registrar also commended the Council Chairman, Tsanni, for his patience and determination to see the end of the feud, noting that long meeting held from dusk to dawn for three days prior to the AGM yesterday.