Commentaries

ANLCA’S War of Attrition, NAGAFF’S Gains

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Eyewitness Reporter

For over three years now, the Association of Nigerian Licenced Customs Agents(ANLCA) has been embroiled in a senseless war of attrition.

A needless war that is being fuelled by greed, selfishness, avariciousness, and self-preservation.

An intractable war that has had an incalculable toll and dealt unimaginable damage to the corporate image of the supposedly oldest and most influential freight forwarding group in Nigeria.

A war that has greatly eroded the public goodwill, confidence, and acceptability of the association.

In the course of the imbroglio, ANLCA has shrunk in influence, fame, quality and status.

The association has flittered away its reputation which it had built over 67 years of its existence on the altar of egocentric squabbles.

During this mindless fight for the soul of the association, ANLCA has lost the respect, clout, public sympathy and empathy that have made it the once preferred freight forwarding group.

As a matter of fact, the endless war that has polarised and factionalised the association has rendered the once vibrant, articulate, respected and most sought after group weak, ineffective, lame, broken, decapitated and degraded.

But the loss of ANLCA is the gain of NAGAFF.

All these years when the gladiators in ANLCA are busy clawing at one another’s throats, tearing themselves apart, trampling upon their hapless members who they are supposed to protect, the leadership of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF)has been busy consolidating and building the association into a formidable, virile and a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

NAGAFF, founded and driven by Dr Boniface Aniebonam, a sagacious, audacious, shrewd, visionary, intelligent mobiliser and administrator, has cashed in on the prostrate ANLCA to become the emerging octopus in the freight forwarding industry.

NAGAFF, a child of necessity founded 22 years ago, has scooped and leveraged on all the goodwill, fame, clout, respect, and public acceptability that the ANLCA has unwittingly flittered away.

Aniebonam has been able to build NAGAFF into a stronger, respectable, acceptable and visionary brand which has completely taken the initiatives away from the hapless, clueless, weakened and distabilised ANLCA whose hitherto vibrancy has been blunt by years of internal wrangling.

Little wonder the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) last week appointed Aniebonam, popularly referred to as Founder, as its ambassador in the freight forwarding industry.

The position confers Aniebonam the privilege of representing and working with the NDLEA in its propagation of anti-drug crusade among freight forwarders.

To us, the President of ANLCA, whose association is the oldest and supposedly most influential, should have been best suited for this coveted position.

But when the association has been rendered prostate and clueless due to years of ego war, it was not a surprise that Aniebonam, the Founder and Pathfinder of NAGAFF, the emerging force in the freight forwarding industry, will readily be the preferred recipient.

As nature abhors a vacuum, NAGAFF has continued to take the initiatives to fill the gap created by the slumbering and fumbling ANLCA.

It was NAGAFF that took the initiative of fighting the excessiveness of the service providers to protect the hapless freight forwarders from the extortionist tendencies of these capitalists.

Aptly dubbed NAGAFF 100 percent compliance team, the anti-corruption arm of NAGAFF, the association has been able to checkmate most of the excesses of the service providers.

An attempt by ANLCA to replicate this noble initiative by NAGAFF expectedly fizzled out like candlelight in the wind due to lack of purpose.

Not only that, NAGAFF recently hosted Barrister Hassan Bello, the retired and highly celebrated Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’ Council, to a lavish reception meant to honour him for his selfless service to the industry during his eight-year tenure.

These and many more initiatives taken by NAGAFF have made the association the most active and proactive freight forwarding group in the industry.

Unfortunately, all this while when NAGAFF was building, rebranding and consolidating, ANLCA, a supposedly oldest freight forwarding group, was gradually receding in importance, fame, status and influence as its supposed leaders who are expected to build the association are busy destroying the legacy left by its founding fathers in their inordinate ambition to appropriate the spoils of office to themselves.

Like most industry stakeholders who are already tired and irritated by the endless war in ANLCA, we shall no longer advise the gladiators to sheath their swords because such admonition has not been heeded in the past.

Rather than heed the warnings and advice of concerned stakeholders, the gladiators seemed more determined as they continued to get more incensed and enraged with one another, appearing hell-bent on destroying the great legacy they inherited from the founding fathers.

However, the ANLCA warlords should realise that every jab they throw at one another will only make NAGAFF stronger, more influential, more popular and prosperous until it finally drowns the war-torn association in its own act of foolery.

But if the ANLCA gladiators could engage themselves in self- retrospect that their act is capable of destroying the great association that was once the envy of other rival associations and end this factional war, maybe, just maybe, ANLCA could manage to salvage and recover some of the gains it has conceded to NAGAFF.

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Commentaries

AMBO At 60: The technocrat Osun needs for defining future

Abiola Oluwaseun.

Today, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, turns 60.

Yet his birthday is more than a personal milestone; it has become a political moment for Osun State, where citizens increasingly recognise that competence, not theatrics, must define the next chapter of leadership.

Over the decades, the name AMBO has evolved from an acronym into a brand of leadership: calm yet decisive, technocratic yet deeply connected to the grassroots, firm yet unfailingly humane.

In a political climate where noise is often mistaken for achievement, Oyebamiji represents a refreshing countercurrent.

His rise embodies what governance should be , that is, thoughtful, grounded, and anchored in systems that outlive individuals.

Born and raised in Ikire, Oyebamiji’s childhood reflected the realities of rural Southwestern Nigeria in the 1970s: modest homes, tight-knit families, and parents who believed that education was the greatest inheritance.

These early experiences shaped his enduring ethos, which holds that success must be built on discipline, learning, and service, rather than shortcuts or populist gimmicks.

That ethos carried him into the banking sector in the late 1980s, where he began a nearly 40-year career spanning commercial banking, investment management, and public finance.

Whether at Wema Bank or in later roles, he became known for precision, calmness and an uncommon ability to navigate complexity, attributes that would later define his public life.

For instance, as Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, Oyebamiji earned a reputation for steadiness when the economy was anything but steady.

He managed crises, stabilised financial systems, and insisted on transparency at a time when many states were buckling under fiscal pressure.

At the helm of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), he introduced reforms that revived a long-neglected sector.

His insistence on safety protocols, digital compliance systems, and staff capacity-building restored credibility to an agency once dismissed as dormant.

These reforms did not just solve immediate problems; they laid structural foundations that will endure long after his exit, a hallmark of leaders who build institutions rather than headlines.

In a political era dominated by theatrics, Oyebamiji’s competence is a quiet but persuasive argument for a different kind of governance.

Perhaps the most compelling part of AMBO’s recent journey is his intentional return to the grassroots.

Long before declaring his gubernatorial ambition, he toured all 30 local government areas of Osun and sometimes with only a handful of aides, meeting traditional rulers, youth groups, farmers, market women, and party stakeholders.

What he offered was not money or slogans, but time and listening, a rarity in modern politics.

Residents expected a quick speech and a hurried exit. Instead, they encountered a man willing to sit on wooden stools, walk through farms, and ask honest questions about fertiliser, rural roads, and food prices.

That ability to combine technocratic sophistication with human connection has become one of his strongest political assets.

In a state where people insist on touchable leadership, AMBO passes the test.

Osun stands at a crossroads. After three years under an administration more famous for dance-floor theatrics than developmental strategy, the state confronts deep financial pressures, faltering infrastructure, an underperforming agrarian economy, and widening political fractures.

Now, this moment demands a financial expert, not a financial gambler, a planner, not a performance artist and systems builder, not another administrator of stagnation.

In every measurable way, AMBO fits the brief.

His mastery of budgeting, revenue optimisation, and long-term economic planning is not theoretical but proven.

His experience with national logistics and waterway infrastructure gives him an edge in building rural value chains and improving mobility.

And his calm but firm leadership style offers a bridge for a politically divided state yearning for stability.

Some analysts argue that Osun’s next leader must be someone whose legitimacy comes from competence rather than charisma.

Others point to AMBO’s organic support base, who are mostly youths, traditional councils, workers, and party stakeholders, as evidence of a candidate whose popularity grows not from noise but from trust.

At 60, Oyebamiji stands at the convergence of experience, foresight, and maturity.

He is part of a generation of technocrats who understand both the old Osun and the new one that must emerge.

His ambition is not driven by desperation but by preparedness.

As one associate puts it, “AMBO is the kind of leader who prepares long before he steps into the arena.”

That discipline is rare and that’s precisely what Osun needs.

Birthdays are checkpoints, and at 60, AMBO arrives at one with a résumé richer than that of any aspirant in the race: a childhood rooted in Ikire, a career refined in the banking halls of Lagos, a reputation tested in Osun’s public finance, and a national leadership role that broadened his perspective.

He embodies a blend of technocratic depth, local legitimacy, and national exposure.

As Osun inches toward its next gubernatorial transition, the question is not whether AMBO is qualified.

It is whether the state is ready to embrace the kind of leadership that prioritises systems over spectacle, results over rhetoric, and people over performance.

The evidence suggests that Osun’s moment of clarity has come just as history often rewards preparedness with opportunity, politics rewards timing.

And at 60, with his credentials, character, and deepening support across the state, it is increasingly clear that this is AMBO’s time.

Abiola Oluwaseun writes from Gbogan, Osun State

Commentaries

Who is afraid of Bashir Jamoh, NIMASA boss?

Bashir Jamoh, DG, NIMASA

Ikechukwu Ukaegbu

The resurfacing of corruption allegations against the DG NIMASA sparks of nothing short of mischief.

Social media has been awashed with the fake news that N1.5 trillion, $9 Million looted funds were traced to NIMASA boss, Bashir Jamoh’s Personal Account.

However, what is more nauseating is the circulation of this false and stale information by social media users without any form of fact-checking.

No wonder experts have stated that the third world war may be triggered by the misuse of the internet.

About a year ago, Jackson Ude published a damaging article accusing Dr. Jamoh of corruption. Ude is a self-acclaimed journalist and lapdog for the opposition and other disgruntled elements.

He has carved a niche for blackmailing and maligning the government and its top officials.

Owing to his innocence, the NIMASA DG immediately issued a rebuttal and to further validate his incorruptibility, wrote to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting that the allegation leveled against him be investigated; a gesture which was applauded by the public and viewed as a bold move and first of its kind.

Meanwhile, investigations conducted since last year by notable sources revealed that the allegations were nothing but an outright falsehood and mistaken identity.

The analysis of screenshots of chats shared by Ude showed that the report was actually against a retired employee of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Hamza Jamo, who happened to also be a representative of Talent Enterprise, a Dubai-based training firm.

Forensic analysis also showed that the number shared by Ude belonged to the NNPC former staff and not the NIMASA DG but Ude in his quest for mischief refused to conduct due diligence before publishing the disparaging report.

Also, the Dubai-based company, which the former NNPC staff represents went on to issue a statement denying ever having any business relationship with NIMASA or with its Director General.

It is also because the allegations against the NIMASA boss by security agencies were discovered to be false that the EFCC never went after him. Instead, a manhunt was launched for Ude for his detrimental lies.

As usual, he cowardly fled. From a distance outside Nigeria, he throws stones big enough to destroy others’ integrity. Jamoh is not his first or only victim. Ude has targeted many innocent people. He has never proved his allegations. When sued for reputational damage, he is not found to be brought to book.

The recycling of stale information and fake news a year after it was circulated for ill-intentioned purposes is unfortunate and tactless. It is not surprising that these attacks came at a time Jamoh planned to contest the Kaduna State Governorship post.

That it coincided with this political outing revealed an attempt by saboteurs. But he is not going to be on the ballot. Making the spread of the fake information at the heels of the suspension of the Accountant General is a futile effort designed to make the Buhari Government look corrupt.

But despite these continued attempts by the likes of Ude and his sponsors to distract him, Jamoh has excelled as the NIMASA DG.

His appointment by the President is indicative of his capacity to perform excellently, especially with his more than 30 years of experience in the maritime sector.

Not only has he integrated national security and waterways protection infrastructure in the country, he initiated the SHADE Gulf of Guinea project which is playing an active role in tackling sea piracy.

It was following this genius initiative that the International Maritime Bureau struck out Nigeria from its piracy list. In addition, due to his innovative leadership, the number of seafarers has increased with over 2, 000 Nigerians trained under the National Seafarers Development Programme while security to over 22 port facilities in Nigeria has substantially improved.

No doubt, these immeasurable, achievements in just one year have led to enhanced developments in the Nigerian maritime industry. Understandably, his opponents are unhappy and have resorted to adversarial antics to soil his name and make nonsense of his feats.

Nigerians must stand up against fake news and its harmful effect. The use of yellow journalists to attack and undermine honest as well as passionate government officials who are making giant strides in their areas of appointments to move Nigeria forward should also be totally condemned.

As the DG NIMASA continues to write his name in the sands of time, let those who are after him or his job know that their schemes can only end in futility.

Ikechukwu Ukaegbu, is a Maritime Safety Analyst and resides in Abuja, FCT.

Commentaries

APC Primaries: Who wins Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal constituency mandate?

CHIEF LILIAN OBENWA

By Fred Uwaoma

As the stage is set for All Progressives Congress(APC) primaries for different elective positions, aspirants are adopting deft political strategies to woe delegates to give them the enabling vote to emerge as the party’s preferred candidate. This is because APC appears sure to beat any other party because PDP which is the ruling party in the state has received bashing for poor performance and lacklustre governance.

One interesting zone of the contest is the Isuikwuato /Umunneochi federal constituency of Abia state primarily because the aspirants are all women.

Again the incumbent legislator occupying the position, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha has stayed for four terms and is still nursing the ambition to occupy the position for the fifth term which the other contestants consider not only abnormal but gluttonous clutch at the power which must be broken.

Another argument is that the constituency which belongs to Isuikwuato and Umunneochi has by implication been annexed by the incumbent who is from Umunneochi for almost 16 years not minding the feelings of the other side.

Perhaps this is why the two other aspirants are from Isuikwuato.

HOW THE CANDIDATES STAND:

The battle line is drawn between the incumbent, Hon. Nkeiru Onyejeocha, Dr. Onyinye Kay Rufus-Obi and Dr. Lilian Obenwa.

HONOURABLE NKEIRU ONYEJEOCHA

53-year-old Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha from Isuochi is the incumbent candidate representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi at the Federal House of Representatives.

She was first elected member of the Federal House of Representatives in 2007, and later re-elected in 2015, both under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

She defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC in 2018 after coming under intense pressure from her former party leaders to drop her ambition for a return ticket to the house. In 2019, she won her re-election bid for a fourth term in Nigeria’s Green Chamber. She is one of the longest-serving members of the house.

In 2019, Onyejocha contested for the position of speaker of the male-dominated Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives against Femi Gbajabiamila from Lagos State nominated for the position by her party – APC. Onyejocha’s major campaign issue was to zone speakership position to the South-East for a balanced distribution of key federal powers among the six geo-political zones of the country. But she stepped down less than 24 hours before the election.

Onyejocha was previously Executive Transition Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State in 2002. In 2003 she served in the executive cabinet of Abia State as commissioner for Resource Management and Manpower Development. At the National Assembly, she served as the Chairman of Women in Parliament and Chairman, the House Committee on Aviation. Her legislative interests border on sponsoring bills that will enhance the standard of living for children, women, youths and the less privileged, education and infrastructure including the health and aviation sector. She believes her target achievements include ‘delivery of good and lasting democratic dividends to her constituency and Nigeria at large through responsive legislation.’

She goes by the chieftaincy title of “ADA-EJI-AGA-MBA 1” of the Umunneochi Local Government Area.

Arguments For:

As a ranking and active member of the House, she stands a high chance of being re-elected by the constituency

She is one of the big bigwigs in the state and so has the party hierarchy at her beck and call

Arguments Against:

She is said to have overstayed at the House and should give way for people with fresh ideas to occupy the seat.

If the latest policy by the party not to allow any candidate that has stayed for three terms to contest for the same position pulls through, Onyejeocha stands disqualified.

Analysts are saying that she should not wait to be disgraced before bowing to the wish of the people to give way for fresh minds

She is considered power-hungry for stopping at nothing to cling to the position even when she has used four terms for Umunneochi at the disadvantage of the Isuikwuato part of the constituency.

She is regarded as arrogant and believes that her access to the party structure in the state guarantees her victory any day.

Grapevine says that she has concentrated efforts on developing only Umunneochi by attracting Federal presence while leaving Isuikwuato marginalised.

Dr ONYINYE KAY RUFUS-OBI

Dr. Onyinye Kay Rufus-Obi is the daughter of a pharmaceutical mogul, Rufus Obi of the Rufus Obi Chemists fame in Aba, Abia commercial city. Rufus Obi, with the famous title – Enyi Abia is recognized even in death ( posthumously) by the State. Dr Onyinye is the Managing Director and CEO of Ureccon Ltd, Home Essentials Ltd and sits on the board of several companies including Mogjan Nig Ltd which is executing the security of the railways in Nigeria.

She is on the board of Rufus OBI Chemists & Co Ltd, a 48-year-old pharmaceutical company established by her late father, an Oxford University UK graduate and trained Pharmacist.

She is a seasoned Optometrist from the prestigious University of Benin, Nigeria.

She had her Master class certificate from London Graduate School

Dr. Onyinye Kay Rufus- Obi is an astute and experienced business gold fingered Mogul and Entrepreneur, who works tirelessly to fuel developmental progress through her extensive work with the people in authority and leaders in government. She has since successfully executed projects that served as catalysts for great developmental strides in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Amazingly, she is currently working on providing security on the newly established railroad lines across Nigeria to solve the problem of vandalism and threat to lives and property on the railways.

She is a kind-hearted philanthropist and kingdom financier whose life mission is to empower less privileged communities. Her works and interventions have assisted thousands in improving their standards of living.

In 2019, she was appointed the Executive Special Assistant Finance to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission. She aided the agency in the enrichment of the oil-producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria in ways too numerous to mention and got a lot of projects injected into the NDDC budget for Abia State with special emphasis on the Isuikwuato Local Govt Area for 3 consecutive years.

Analysts believe she is an ICON with tremendous, inborn love for her people.

She is a very devoted and dedicated mother to her children.

Arguments for:

Research showed that she had early exposure to politics through her father who always takes her around while visiting the likes of Chief Michael Okpara and other notable juggernauts in the state for political meetings.

She is given to philanthropy and her records show that she does not discriminate whether the person is from Umunneochi or Isuikwuato, Yoruba, or Hausa.

Although she is regarded as quiet, which is a minus politically in this clime, she is calculating and not flippant. She is not arrogant and respects elders but is highly principled.

She is a go-getter by nature prompting analysts to believe that she will dwarf Onyejeocha in achievements by all standards.

She is urbane. As a child, she spent her vacations abroad and got good exposure way back.

One should think that being born with a silver spoon would have made her proud and arrogant but the opposite is the case. She is humble and down-to-earth.

Growing up, she spent her vacations abroad (Europe and America) traveling with her parents.

She has been exposed to wealth early, has enjoyed life, and would not have reason to divert people’s money because of her good upbringing and genuine heart for the people.

Analysts believe she will definitely do better than Onyejeocha.

CHIEF LILIAN OBENWA

Chief Lady Lilian Chinasa Obenwa popularly referred to as Ugo eji eje Mba is from Ekebe Eluama in Isuikwuato local government area.

She had her primary and secondary education in Owerri, Imo State. She is a holder of a bachelor of arts degree in mass communication from Imo State University.

Obenwa is a recipient of several Awards and chieftaincy titles from communities around SouthEast states. She has been conferred with the titles of Ugo Eji Eje Mba 1 of item, Bende local government, Abia State, Igolo South East, Onu na ekwuru umu-nwanyi, Achala Ugo Nwanyi.

Reports show that she was in 2019 recognized by the government as the Imo State Director of Importers Association of Nigeria, IMAN special taskforce.

Her emergence then was made official by the IMAN Director-General, Amb. Chijioke Okoro in a letter dated 19th July 2019 addressed to both Imo State government House, and Imo State Police command, respectively.

In the letter, the Director explained that the reason for her appointment was geared towards the organization’s mission of combating the illegal smuggling of firearms and substandard goods into the country.

This obviously shows that she has played in the public space.

Arguments for:

She has a high desire to represent the constituency at the House as this ambition has remained in her since the last elective season.

She will try to make an impact at the house because of her trait of wanting to get popular.

Arguments Against:

She is not well known like the other two so could be regarded as a dark horse.

She appears not to have a solid structure and lacks attention to details judging from her latest circulating campaign poster.

Although she is a degree holder, analysts believe that her public speaking ability is not well tested, so this may work against her at the House.

She is regarded as loud, and friendly but alleged not to be trusted in business relationships. There are allegations that people that have had political dealings with her complain that she eats their money and doesn’t distribute the bounty given to them.

She ran against Onyejeocha in 2019 but couldn’t make much impact. Analysts think it was all bark and no bite, which made the Abia Political godfathers to tell her to step down.

She lacks the war chest to mount a sustainable campaign programme.

CONCLUSION

Looking at the three how and they stand, Onyejeocha has the incumbency factor going for her.

But the odds are against her for overstaying at the House and the party moguls may already be frowning at this.

Dr Onyinye who has the advantage of already staying in Abuja and at the same time connected to the grassroots with mass following is well favoured to carry the day.

Because of the current campaign for more women in power, her emergence is likely to be total with the low performance of PDP in the State.