EXCLUSIVE:After 5 years Of Agony, Emenike Will Restore ANLCA’s Glory, Says Sir Elochukwu

EXCLUSIVE:After 5 years Of Agony, Emenike Will Restore ANLCA’s Glory, Says Sir Elochukwu

Sir Earnest Elochukwu

By Frank Odinukaeze

The Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents (ANLCA) has continued to pick peace in bits ,culminating in the recently held National Executive Committee Members(NECOM),election that finally ushered in a new leadership and new lease of life for the embattled foremost Association.
In this interview with Premium News Daily (PND), ANLCA chieftain,Sir Earnest Elochukwu Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of Nestelo Nigerian Limited ,and former president of ANLCA speaks on the election of NECOM Exercises,led by Chief Emenike Nwokeoji.Why does he have so much confidence in the new president of the association ? What thing does the new ANLCA president have in common with the Acting Comptroller General of Customs,Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR?
Sir Elochukwu also spoke on some national issues , including fuel subsidy removal ,Customs revenue drive and its implication to the living condition of Nigerians.
Find out his verdict on the Acting CGC of Customs Bashir Adewale Adeniyi,amongst others. Enjoy it.

What is your expectation from the New “NECOM” or the New ANLCA?What is your agenda for them?

ANS: I expect the new NECOM to actually work for the re-engineering of ANLCA.
In line with their campaign slogan of coming in as the “Restoration Team”. Members and stakeholders are expecting them to restore the glory of ANLCA because for the past 5 years, it has been sheer agony. Infact being a member of ANLCA would be likened to as being an orphan.
I am very happy and confident that the man Emenike Nwokeoji, actually has a good head on his shoulders. And am not in any doubt that he will do a good job.

How did ANLCA get to the *place* ,where the falcon could no longer heard the falconer?

ANS: We all are aware of the origin of what has now being historically known as “ANLCA Crisis” but it festered because the man declared the National President on 2018 exhibited such calamitous lack of leadership capacity. He prevaricated in situations he ought to have been firm, upright, and decisive.He rather chose to operate the “we against them” syndrome thereby polarizing the association. Can you imagine that the ONLY occasion that was attended by all ANLCA members was Tony Iju’s inauguration. After then, it was crisis galore and anytime there was an attempt to resolve it, something always came in to throw spanners in the work. For instance, when the then Police Area Commander in Festac invited some of us , he talked to our innermost minds. Infact he singled me and Taiye Oyeniyi out and told us that many of these people call us “oga”, why can’t we be “oga” by slapping with the right hand and calling back with the left hand? There and then, I made a resolve that we must do everything to settle this problem. But then, the truth is that sometimes, it takes two to tango. You could be putting your best effort, but the other person may be having a different agenda. I say this because when we held a subsequent meeting the following day, we agreed on actionable plan to jointly appoint an ASECO which will conduct a NECOM election. Prior to this time, our position had been that the NECOM had overstayed but the Area Commander made us understood that resolution of the crisis could only be possible with the spirit of give-and-take.

But it was as if something was always coming to thwart the peace process. Just as we waited for the nominations to constitute the ASECO, our friends started talking about AGM and the next thing was CRFFN barging in. And the way and manner CRFFN intruded was most unacceptable. There is this Benin saying that “the witch cried in the night and baby died in the morning“ may be too coincidental to be overlooked
So, that was actually how the second stanza of the problem started and it was as if the chairman of the Governing Council of CRFFN was bent on lording it down our throats. And people like us said, “You don’t do that!” I must tell you, even within our group, we had issues with those that went to meetings with Abubakar Tsanni. Our position was that they should give us minimum respect.So It was because of our rejection of that thing that was contrived by them, that myself and Denca made a petition to the Honourable Minister of Transport. They did their best but you know in the civil service, there is always bureaucratic process which makes decision making slow. In the end, we were told that it was an association issue and that the Ministry should not be involved in it . So, we left. But we kept on asking ourselves, “Was it that they didn’t understand that we are among the highest employers of labour force that operates at the ports. In other words, should there be a breakdown of law and order among our members, would it not affect the whole port system adversely?” So when they said what they said, we let it be.

When the customs consultative committee (CCC), now came in, we said okay, we should embrace their own idea. Because we believe that somehow, no matter how long a strife is, there will be a day of reconciliation. So we decided to accept the platform provided by the CCC. Well, not that the CCC was perfect because you don’t expect any human thing to be perfect, but they eventually saw through this process. And it was mainly because some of us had previous relationships with some of the CCC members when they were in the saddle. And also the fact that customs consultative committee (CCC), is an instrument created by the Customs. And then we all, with no exception, have high regards for the present occupant of that position of the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Mr. Bashir Wale Adeniyi. We have maximum respect for him ,because the joy which we presently express about his appointment is real. His appointment is one of those where stakeholders are unanimous in saying that the Government got it right ,because the agony of last eight years with the soldier man is something that we don’t want to relive. To the extent that simplest problem that used to be solved at the Customs Headquarters, if you have it and you go there, that means you don’t want that problem solved ever. I think Col Ahmed Ali (rtd) came on board with the mind set of a saint coming to sanitize the system being run by a gang of robbers but it was a completely wrong notion. But then we all know that no body is a saint, moreso, even him. We heard many stories of sleaze and all those sorts. Above all, his refusal to step down immediately PMB left somehow portrayed him as someone who had intention to cling to the office for as long as possible. However,we agreed that it wasn’t a good they that a retired soldier man, would come in to run the customs Service.

So, we have high regard for this present CGC Wale Adeniyi. So we made up our mind it was going to work – that is the customs Consultative Committee initiative. So, despite all disagreements and dissentions, the process culminated in the peaceful and transparently cast votes on 7th September 2023 where a new NECOM was born.

Aside asking how did ANLCA Find itself in this situation, We want to know how it intends to *carry* everyone along, in the spirit of fairness and sportsmanship , so that all could be happy again?*

ANS: Yes, the National President has actually explained this in his message to ANLCA members.He has explained that everybody voted for him. So, nobody would be left behind. And I think that is the mark of statemanship and capacity for leadership. It contrasts sharply with the immediate past scenario as the man who grabbed the ANLCA presidency in 2018 did not have capacity for leadership. I am confident that this man is not like that He wouldn’t go chasing rat while his house is burning. So, if you must know, what brought about the imbroiglio was that while everyone agreed to move on after the 2018 NECOM election, the declared winner refused to. Rather he opened an inquisition to determine those who supported him and who didnt .So the present President has already said everybody voted for me. And so , everybody is entitled to play role in his administration. It is a good way to start

What are the specific shortfalls of the former leadership that you would want this present leadership to avoid, so as not to go back into the dark days of ANLCA?*

ANS: The first is that he has started well by stating clearly that he is the National President of ANLCA, and that everybody voted for him. Secondly, he has pledged open door government, by leaving his door open to receive advice and suggestions form members. he didn’t close it to one side, to say yes, my inner caucus, they are the only people I’ll be listening to their advice. And he is presently consulting to know what and what that needs to be 3done. I can tell you this; the destruction of any system can be so sudden or can happen in a twinkle of an eye. The restoration of that system can take a whole lot of time. To destroy is easy, but to rebuild, sometimes almost so difficult. We know he has inherited a situation whereby a lot of things ,even at the chapter level,things are not going the way to they should go.

The Acting CGC has been embarking on consultations with relevant stakeholders, including communities, organizations and individuals, what is your impression of the man called Bashir Adewale Adeniyi ?*

ANS: Honestly, may be because he has always being my friend, you know he was the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Customs Service when I was the National President of ANLCA, and he was such a wonderful person to interface with. And he is somebody who believes in problem solving, rather than running around. He is hands on on the job.
Just like as I said of ANLCA, he too inherited a system that has seen some
destruction and distortions. These can take one year three years, even eight years to happen. Now, it will take a some time to start doing repairs . Do you know that many customs officers, during the time of the immediate past CG, when they retire, they swear they will never come near the customs port? Because there was nothing again for people to look at. Take this scenario, a serving customs officer, if he is lucky to retire, because people die while in service. Then he visits his former place of work and a CA at the gate will talk rudely to him. It has happened severally. No matter what happens, the respect for a retired officer should be there, there is a way you should talk to your former colleague So the idea that people should have in mind is this is our service.And this is also for agents -licensed customs agents.Do you know that I could get to the port I used to operate frequently, and because the officer doesn’t know me ,he walks me out.It would be another officer who’ll interveneto ask him “Don’t you know this guy?” if he likes he acknowledge and if he doesn’t he says “I don’t want to know” so these are all the issues that concerns the morale of the customs ,officers.
The CGC, Wale Adeniyi, is a thorough bred officer, he will look at all these things, and come up with something including even the operational modus. At a particular point in time it look like all that the service was interested in was revenue maximization. The indicator of a performing Area command is how much they have overshot the target that they were given People like us, from the vintage point from where we are said it is like the proverbial killing the goose that lays the golden egg. It will get to a point in the business community where there would be no business again but, then we believe that in as much as we are operating within the confines of the World Customs Organization (WCO) and certain things that we are doing, certain aspects of it domesticated by Nigeria. We have our system. If we want to be sincere, we will understand that the customs, are under a project they shouldn’t be under. We went for one occasion at the National Assembly and all that the National Assembly members were interested in is how to make customs collect more money. of course I don’t, expect customs officers as civil servants to do otherwise. they cannot tell the National Assembly members that it cannot work that way. But it will appear that all they are interested is customs is to collect as much as they can. They put the customs under pressure. I know that Wale passed through the tutelage of certain notable Comptroller Generals.Being in the vantage position he was as PRO, he knew how they handled certain problems that came. And I am having more than hundred percent confidence that Wale will deliver on his mandate. I am that confident `

Talking about high target for customs, what impact have this had on trade facilitation and compliance?*
ANS: I will tell you a story. Sometime ago, I can’t remember the exact time now, we went for a FIATA function in America. And the then registrar of CRFFN was reeling out the contributions of freight forwarders as we were called by the CRFFN Act .He mentioned one of such contributions as helping the customs meet their target. At which point, one of the program facilitators said, “Can you hold it there. ,”can you explain this” how does custom get target? Is it that they should get target of the number of Teu that should come into the county so as to make it happen or they should collect certain amounts”? In fact at a point, I have to intervene, and told them that we ran a special and peculiar system in Nigeria, so it would not look so demeaning. It looks absurd,because the function of revenue volume relates to the quantity of cargo imported, pure and simple. There are a whole lot of things that are not very palatable in our system. For instance, if you ask them, they have a justification, I mean the politician, they tell you if you don’t put them on their tools, they will not perform, but I believe a time will come when we start doing things the right way in Nigeria now. So if we hope to grow like every other country, we should be able to do things the right way.

Do you share the view being expressed in some guaters that the high target given the customs, is a contributing factor to high inflection currently being witnessed in the country?*

ANS: I think it is a function of supply and demand, coupled with the issue of currency and all that. We were told of the fund that was called petroleum subsidy. And then the president, the first day in office, says it is gone. And before you know what was happening, even those that were imported before the subsidy removal was all sold at the new rate. We all saw how an innocuous statement made by Mr. President on his first day in office ,saying subsidy is gone, turned over night that even those fuels that were imported with subsidy, they started selling it high and the NNPC, who should have intervened to say look, this fuel that we are talking about that is already there with you, you are having it based on subsidy. And therefore you shouldn’t sell it above the subsidized rate. But then, what did NNPC do? They adjusted even their own meter, because in Nigeria, everybody thinks that his is own action is not contributing to the national disorder. He sees his own action as very immaterial ,but under normal circumstances, NNPC should have said NO, you cannot sell the fuel you got under subsidy under the new price. Some state governments tried to do it before you know it NNPC itself adjusted their meters ,before you know it they will explain certain things in high sounding words. That’s how we came to where we are. This is the standard in Nigeria where people come up with strange decisions, and they will try to justify it. To me wrong people are running the system. People who don’t even have knowledge. You don’t have knowledge and you add to it lack of patriotism, it becomes a disaster. This is what has happened to us over time. Lack of knowledge, coupled with lack of patriotism. Because if people are patriotic there are certain actions they will take and if they don’t know, they ask people.

*What is your message to ANLCA Members ?*

ANS: Well, I want to tell them that a new dawn is here. And like the president has said, that he wants to restore ANLCA to its former glory, everybody should give him maximum cooperation, so that he can carry out his assignment.