Freight Monitor

Irate Customs brokers ground operations at KLT terminal

Mr Kennedy Ikechukwu, the deceased

Eyewitness reporter

The KLT Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has shut down Phase 2 of the Kirikiri Lighter Terminal operated by Joatelim Logistics Limited over its alleged gross negligence which led to the death of an ANLCA member, Mr Kennedy Ikechukwu.

Chairman of the chapter, Comrade Goddy Sewa Soleji, told newsmen on Wednesday that 46-years old Ikechukwu died on Tuesday inside the terminal while trying to get his container positioned for examination.

The protesting clearing agents had stormed the port on Wednesday morning and shut down the administrative office of the terminal operator, while the terminal had been shut since Tuesday evening.

Comrade Soleji, while calming the frayed nerves of the agents, however, instructed that the administrative office of the terminal operator should be opened pending the conclusion of negotiations between the family of the deceased and the terminal operators.

Indications however revealed that the terminal is still under lock and key as at the time of filing this report due to the fact that the deceased family and the Terminal could not conclude their negotiations.

A condolences register has since been opened at the association secretariat for stakeholders.

According to the ANLCA Chairman, Comrade Soleji, the port is supposed to work on a 24-hour basis, hence, reopening the terminal depends solely on the terminal operators’ actions.

After holding meetings with the terminal operators, on Wednesday morning, Comrade Soleji said ANLCA was insisting that the terminal operator should correct its operational lapses, which includes lack of adequate equipment and a good working environment for customers.

According to him, the challenges which the agents were facing at the Joatelim Terminal have been reported to Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Police on several occasions but he said there was no deliberate action taken.

Soleji further alleged that the same challenge of lack of equipment and poor working environment is being faced at all terminals under the KLT Port due to lack of government regulation.

“What happened yesterday was uncalled for, because it was something that we have been complaining about

“What happened is that due to poor handling, the crane hit the victim, and stepped on him to the extent that, from the chest down, his intestines burst out, it was ugly, the way we all felt yesterday was not good at all, it was a terrible incident”

“On several occasions, we have written to the management of Joatelim Logistics Limited to improve on their operations, in terms of pavement of the terminal floors, to acquire more plants (cargo handling equipment) for efficient service delivery for importers and agents, and also to improve their manpower

“The issue of booking of containers for examination, agents are not supposed to go into the terminal to position containers or pursue the plants that would handle the container

“That’s an analogue way of working that we have dumped two decades ago when NPA was in charge of the ports. In other terminals, agents do not have to go and position containers”

The remains of the dead clearing agent have been deposited at the Naval hospital at Boundary, Ajegunle. He was confirmed dead on arrival, and a death certificate has been issued to the family.

Kennedy Ikechukwu A.K.A Skiibo was a 46-years old bachelor from Owerri in Imo State.

Freight Monitor

ANLCA postpones NECOM election to July 5th as ASECO releases fresh guidelines

Nze Aloysius Emeka Igwe, ASECO Chairman, ANLCA

Following the death of the erstwhile chairman of the Association Electoral Commission(ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents( ANLCA), Mr. Alloy Anukwuru, who died in April 2023, the new Chairman of the electoral body has released a fresh guideline for the much-anticipated election.

In the new electoral timetable released by the new chairman of the eight-man electoral committee, Nze Aloysius Emeka Igwe, whose appointment by the board of the association sequel to the death of Anokwuru, was announced about a week ago, the ANLCA NECOM election will now hold on July 5th, 2023.

This is about less than a two-month extension from the original date of May 25th, 2023 as earlier announced by the electoral body when it was headed by late Anukwuru.

According to the new electoral guideline signed by the new Chairman of ASECO, Emeka Igwe and Alhaji Mustapha Yakubu, the ASECO Secretary, there will be registration of voters at the Western Zone(National Headquarters), Eastern Zone(Onne) and Northern Zone(Abuja) from May 17th -June 2nd, 2023.

Also, the sales of nomination form/letter of intent closes on May 26th, 2023 while the final submission of the original nomination form is slated for between May 26th- 30th, 2023.

Electoral petitions by aggrieved members or participants will be entertained from June 2nd-9th, 2023 while the publication of the aspirants/first provision voters list will be between June 5th -9th, 2023.

The verification and the screening of original documents of voters in the Western Zone hold between June 12th-15th, 2023 while the verification and screening of licenses of voters in the Eastern Zone takes place June 19th -21st, 2023 and that of the Northern Zone takes place between June 22rd-23rd, 2023.

The screening of the aspirants is slated for July 3rd, 2023 while the publication of the final voters and candidate list will also be done on July 3rd, 2023.

The proper election and declaration of results by the returning officer holds on July 5th, 2023, thus ushering in the new executives that will pilot the affairs of the battle-weary ANLCA for a single term of five years.

Freight Monitor

Aftermath of Anokwuru’s death: ANLCA appoints Alloy Igwe as new ASECO chairman

The eyewitness reporter

A few weeks after the death of Alloy Anokwuru, the erstwhile Chairman of the Associations Electoral Committee (ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)who died in April, the association has appointed Alloy Chukwuemeka Igwe as a new chairman of ASECO.

Unveiling the new chairman at the National Secretariat of the association, Kayode Farinto, the Acting National President of ANLCA, charged the new chairman to leave above board.

“Don’t collect bribes in your new assignment. You may be blackmailed but you should remain steadfast” he charged the new ASECO chairman.

Farinto disclosed that the appointment of the new electoral body was made and ratified at a combined meeting of the association’s NECOM and BOT, last week Saturday.

“There shouldn’t be a vacuum and that was the reason this appointment had to be made.

While eulogizing the former ASECO chairman, Farinto said the association was equally confident in the ability of the new chairman who has an impeccable pedigree in the association.

He said there was a new dawn in ANLCA as never again will unlicensed members be allowed to lord it over the licensed members.

“If the election is successful, it will herald a rebirth of the association and its lost glory will return” Farinto declared.

He, therefore, charged the new chairman and the electoral committee to sanitize the electoral process in the association for the betterment of the group.

He also admonished ANLCA members to remain united and resolute in the current efforts to rebuild the association.

The board also appointed Mr Sanusi Adebayo Suleiman from the MMA chapter as the eighth member of ASECO.

Mr Aloy Igwe and Suleiman were later sworn in by the Acting National President of ANLCA.

The new chairman promised to deliver on his mandate and expressed gratitude to the association for his appointment.

He however said the old timetable of the NECOM election will have to be amended to reflect the new realities on the ground.

The timetable for the NECOM election drawn by the ASECO before Aloy Anokwuru died shows that the election is supposed to hold May, 25th 2023.

It still remains to be seen if the little disruption caused by the death of the former Chairman will affect the date or not.

Freight Monitor

ANLCA holds NECOM elections May 25th as ASECO releases guidelines

The eyewitness reporter

The much-anticipated elections into the National Executive Council of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) holds on May 25th, 2023.

According to the election timetable released by the Association Electoral Commission(ASECO), a copy of which was sighted by our reporter, the notice of election has been published on April 11, 2023, while the registrations of voters will be conducted by ASECO at the ANLCA national secretariat from April 12th to 28th, 2023.

The guideline, dated April 11th, 2023, also revealed that the electoral committee will entertain letters of intent from interested contestants from April 12th- April 28th, 2023.

Also, nomination forms with elections guidelines will be on sale from April 12th- April 19th, 2023 while the final submission of the original nomination forms and other requirements by aspirants will be on the 27th of April 2023.

Furthermore, the screening of aspirants will take place from May 2nd-May 9th, 2023 while election petitions will be entertained May 10th -18th, 2023.

Also, a provisional list of voters and candidates will be published on May 19th, 2023 while there will be a joint ASECO/BOT/NECOM meeting on May 22nd, 2023 to consider and resolve election petitions.

The final voters and candidates list will be published on May 23rd, 2023.

May 25th, 2023, will be the D-day when the elections will hold and the results declared by the returning officer.

Following the consummation of the peace pact between the two warring parties in ANLCA which ushered in an era of peace in the association that was on the boil for five years, a seven-member electoral body called ASECO, headed by Mr. Alloy Anukwuru, was inaugurated to conduct elections into the association’s NECOM.