Elder Jimoh Sadiq, the Chairman of Tincan lsland port chapter of the Oodua Maritime Logistics Association, Tincan Island Chapter, is delighted that the myriads of crises that have bedeviled the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) for years have been resolved and buried with the recently concluded national elections that produced Chief Emenike Nwokeoji and Prince Segun Oduntan as President and Vice President respectively.
Sadiq noted that ANLCA agents and the profession have suffered incalculable losses both materially and professionally, especially with the encroachment of foreigners into the trade.
“We have lost too much as a body and as individual customs agents. We became powerless, voiceless and helpless as government and customs dished out unfavourable trade policies which were not people friendly and have rendered us almost jobless. If the economy is bad today it started from the implementation of bad policies of government in the ports. We couldn’t help as our leaders engaged in needless rancour, shameful court cases. Unfortunately, while these went on foreigners, including international shipping lines, transmuted into terminal operators, and later to customs clearing and forwarding agents. They even do door to door. They have taken over our jobs and rendered us jobless in our father’s land. It couldn’t have been worse.
“But l am optimistic that God’s grace that the war is over and we have an exco made of very brilliant and competent personalities. I know that errors of the past will henceforth be corrected. Chief Emenike is a man of high moral standards and a long standing ANLCA Chief who knows where the shoe pinches. Same as Segun Oduntan my brother. He’s a very brilliant and straight forward man who is trust worthy. Including all exco members, they are of quality,” explained the Oodua Chairman.
Elder Sadiq however advised Chief Emenike and Prince Oduntan not to assume a posture of winner takes all but run an inclusive government by inviting every tendency in ANLCA to be part of their government. That’s is how we will ury the ghost of the immediate better forgotten past,” he noted.
The Oodua Chieftain did not fail to remind Chief Emenike that Lagos is where it is happening the most and he should therefore remember the son of the soil mantra. “He must remember us, always,” he concluded.
Leave a Reply