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Worried by incidents of misrepresentation of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) stance on national issues, the ANLCA President, Chief Emenike Nwokeoji, has admonished Chapter Executives to desist from media commentaries on national policies.
Emenike, who was speaking at the opening session of a 2-day National Retreat and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for ANLCA on Thursday, observed that some misguided commentaries by Chapter Executives have portrayed the association in bad light especially on national issues.
Addressing the Chapter Chairmen and executives, the ANLCA President observed that while they were within their rights to speak on issues affecting their respective chapters at seaports, land borders or airports; they shouldn’t expand their perspectives to holistic national policies and projects.
He equally advised Chapter Chairmen not to diminish the value of their executives by giving too much powers to Committees in a manner that places them above other executive members.
The ANLCA boss recommended that Chapter Chairmen could appoint an executive member to head strategic committees, adding that it ensures the vision of the Chapter leadership is captured in the committee’s actions and activities.
Emenike cited a strange scenario where a committee member of an ANLCA Chapter had interrupted a reconstruction exercise of a seaport terminal access gate because the committee wasn’t notified of the terminal’s infrastructure upgrade.
“A good example of constituting committees is the planning committee for this retreat and NEC meeting. We appointed the National Secretary to lead the team. This ensures that communication between the committee and NECOM will be very smooth,” Emenike said.
Meanwhile, he described the retreat and training as crucial for coming at a point where the association has several executives holding offices for the first time across several chapters.
He, however, expressed delight that the Customs B’Odogwu platform has overcome the recent glitches which posed some concerns to freight agents; adding that the platform and other innovations by Customs are bound to improve the efficiency in freight forwarding.
On his part, the Chairman of ANLCA Board of Trustees, Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, assured the delegates that the BoT has been working quietly without interfering in the day-to-day operations of the association.
Mustapha stated that BoT has commenced plans in partnership with the National Executives to develop a draft for the Nigerian Institute of Customs Brokers that would be taken to the National Assembly as a bill.
He also disclosed that as part of efforts to mark the BOT’s one year in office, by September, the group will complete and commission a sickbay project at the ANLCA national headquarters which was promised as part of their manifesto during their elections.
In his lecture, a former President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, outlined the unique roles and responsibilities of national executives, BOT and chapter executives.
He encouraged the respective leadership structures to understand their boundaries and work in sync with one another in a bid to ensure sustainable growth of the association.
On his part, Mr. Alwin Hoegerle, Managing Director of Meta Digital Services (MDS), which is part of the National Single Window (NSW) delivery team, commended ANLCA for her support in the transformative initiative led by the Federal Government of Nigeria in partnership with key trade and border management agencies.
“The Nigeria Single Window initiative is a transformative project is designed to streamline and digitize trade processes, improve transparency, reduce transaction costs, and boost efficiency across the entire import and export ecosystem.
“MDS has been entrusted with a critical responsibility to train and empower all trade ecosystem participants, especially licensed customs agents like yourselves, on how to effectively use the new NSW platform. At the heart of this project is collaboration, and that is where your association-and Indeed all licensed customs agents and logistics stakeholders-play a critical role,” he said.
The event was also graced by the Chairman of Customs Consultative Council, Alhaji Hakeem Olarenwaju; former ANLCA President, Chief Ernest Elochukwu; among others.
