Freight Monitor

ANLCA crisis festers as BOT sacks Tony Iju- led NECOM

ANLCA secretariat, the bone of contention

—– Farinto kicks, denies parallel EXCO

–—-Eastern Zone rejects interim arrangement

The Eyewitness reporter

There seems not to be an end to the malignant crisis rocking the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) as the acclaimed oldest freight forwarding association has once again been plugged into another fresh crisis.

This followed the takeover of the secretariat and the sacking of the Tony Iju- led National Executive by the Board of trustees (BOT).

The fragile peace accord between the two warring factions fighting for the soul of the association broke down which led to renewed hostility.

The Taiwo Mustapha- led BOT who, sacked the NECOM, accused the dissolved exco of the sit-tight syndrome, saying the tenure of the dissolved executive members expired on 16th April 2022.

Speaking at the association’s secretariat, the Board of Trustees chairman, Taiwo Mustapha, however, announced an interim management team led by Pius Ujubonu.According to Mustapha, the tenure of the dissolved executive committee of the association expired on the 16th of April, 2022 and has, therefore, created a vacuum in the association’s leadership.

“We have been on this for the last four years and it’s pathetic that we have stayed so long on it.

“From today, (Wednesday), I want to say on behalf of board members, that the association shall be well.

” Whatever happens to the association lies with the BoT. We decide to take it easy going through all peaceful moves for peace to return to ANLCA but to no avail.”

“The climax of it was when the secretariat was locked for five weeks. We spoke and we met with the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and the Commissioner of Police.

” The CP appointed the Area commander to midwife a truce and we are prepared for it, in fact, we are ready to shift ground for a win-win but they reneged from their side.

“Now, I have pronounced that the National Executive Council of the association has remained dissolved and the Owerri convention where the association’s constitution was purportedly amended remains null and void.

“The BoT is empowered to run the association for six months but we will create an interim committee for one month or as at when time permits so that they can conduct an election for the new executive.”

The interim executive as announced by the BoT chairman is, Pius Ujobonu as acting president; Jamiu Adeyinka as acting Vice president and Joe Sanni as acting secretary.

Others are, “Francis Ituah as acting publicity Secretary; Waheed Gbadamosi as acting Financial Secretary and Alhaji Usman as the acting Treasurer of the association.

However, Kayode Farinto, the Acting President in the dissolved NECOM, dismissed the purported dissolution.

He denied any existing parallel executives in the association.

He claimed that the alleged takeover of the secretariat was done in the absence of the NECOM members whom he claimed were away on a courtesy visit to the Lekki seaport.

Farinto described the activities that took place at the national secretariat as the handiwork of expelled members who refused to leave after being expelled by the National Executives Committee (NEC).

The Acting National President also bemoaned the attitude of the commissioner of Police in Lagos state to the crisis rocking the association, noting that the commissioner is culpable and needs to explain his role in the association crisis.

“What you are seeing in ANLCA is political shenanigans by cantankerous old men who refused to leave the association after being expelled. These are expelled members of our former board, they are no more members of ANLCA for now and unfortunately, we were on national assignment when we learnt that they have encroached into the national secretariat and forcefully taken over the secretariat, breaking the padlocks and keys.

“The interesting thing is that we have Police on guard in that place, so we want to know the reason, we want to know whether the police are culpable because this is a surprise to me.

“But there is nothing to worry about, the expelled members, they are not members of ANLCA and it is not me that expelled them, it was NEC, I don’t know why a part of the body will say it doesn’t belong to the body.

”It’s unfortunate that the West has been like this, but I can assure you that this will be the last war that will root out these people who refuse to leave.

“A man of 75years parading himself as a member of the board, what’s he looking for, he has spent 12 years on the board as at the time his tenure expired, but tomorrow(today) we are taking over our secretariat back.”

Similarly, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Eastern Zone has allegedly condemned the takeover of the secretariat by Mustapha-led BOT while dissociating itself from the action.

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Analyses

Dual clearing:The secret racket killing Single Window

The portals are digital, but the greed remains completely manual.

The Monday Discourse with Nasiru Ibrahim exposes the ‘Dual Clearing’ racket where manual verification loops completely neutralize the federal government’s National Single Window.

Read how deliberate extortion rings at the terminal gates are killing the ease of doing business and paralyzing Port efficiency.

The full strategic brief drops tomorrow morning!

Stay tuned

Customs

Opposition mounts against proposed hike in licensing renewal fee by Customs as agents kick

–the timing is wrong — Amiwero

–the rich will now hijack the clearing job– Musa

— the multinationals will have a field day — Mukaila

– lot of agents will be out of job-Otunba Komolafe

– the economy will collapse — Barrister Ada Akpunonu

Funso OLOJO

There seems to an overwhelming unanimity in the resistance of the Customs Licensed Clearing Agents against the proposed hike in the licensing renewal fee by the Nigeria Customs Service.

On Thursday, August 7th, 2025, the management of the NCS muted the idea of a hike in licensing renewal fee when it was sensitizing the executives of the major freight forwarding groups in Abuja.

The agency told the freight forwarders that commencing from January 1st, 2026, the current renewal fee of N215, 000( 20k for the Headquarters and N15k processing fee for the commands) would be increased as the existing fee was no longer realistic in the face of the economic realities in the country.

However, a cross – section of the practicing customs brokers who spoke to our reporter on the proposed review were unsparing in their total rejection and condemnation of the proposal.

They were unanimous in their belief that the move by the customs authority was not only ill- timed, ill- conceived but it’s capable of sending many practitioners out of the business.

The customs brokers lamented the timing of the proposed hike when, according to them, they are still grappling with the challenges of multiple payment of charges and fees atvtge port.

They pointed out the reintroduction of the 4 percent fee on FOB on imported cargo, the high exchange rate and other taxes which they said are hurting the business.

They further claimed that the proposed hike will give a leeway to the money bags and the foreign multi- nationals to hijack the freight forwarding industry.

Dr Segun Musa, the Deputy National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) accused Customs of gradually turning the issue of licensing into cash and carry for the highest bidders.

He believed that obtaining customs license should be purely knowledge- based and not what should be procured with money.

“To me, I don’t think it’s a welcome development and I’m not subscribing to that” when asked of his reaction to the proposed hike.

“The industry should be more of knowledge-driven and not cash-driven.

I didn’t subscribe to it and definitely I won’t buy into it.

” The reality is not whether the current renewal fee is sustainable or

not sustainable. Ordinarily, we don’t suppose as practitioners, we’re not supposed to pay for license.

“We’re supposed to be registered and licensed based on knowledge.

“It should not be a commercialized thing. A customs licensing is not a commercialized venture, it is not a private venture for profit making.

“They generate revenue for government. But ordinarily, we’re supposed to be registered and licensed based on knowledge to facilitate trade.

” If we allow the financial bullion operators to hijack the industry, then they mess up the whole industry.

“It should be knowledge-driven. It should not be the highest bidder industry.

” It should be integrity platform. It should be knowledge platform, not money

back platform.

“You cannot push people that are trying to establish and advance their business out of the business. You don’t do that.

It’s not fair.

“I’m just waiting for the associations that have met with the CG to come out with there own resolutions or their own brief before we can start engaging media and telling the media our own personal opinion.

” But definitely, it will not fly.

Alhaji Abdulaziz Mukaila, the former National Secretary Generals of the Association of Nigerian Customs Licensed Agents(ANLCA, was not less critical of the licensing renewal proposal.

” Where do they want us to get the money from? Do they want us to start to tax importers? the ANLCA Chieftain asked rhetorically.

“Are they giving us any subvention?

Whereas, Customs is taking salary.

They are still taking budget allowance.

” Now they are taking 4 percent cent on FOB on cargo.

” The Customs is giving way to the fraudsters they claimed they wanted to weed out with this hike because the fraudsters will get the license at any amount because they know what they want to do with the license.

*Customs will only succeed in chasing out honest people out of the business, thus paving way to the dubious ones to take over.

“What are they trying to

achieve?

” To shut the door and bring in foreign multinationals?

“Afterall, the customs now give licenses to the Chinese, Indians and Lebanese.

“With this new hike, these foreigners will now gain full control of the industry” the former ANLCA scribe alleged.

Mr Lucky Eyis Amiwero, the factional President of National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Licensed Agents (NCMDLCA) believed that the proposed hike in licensing fee was ill- time at a time the Customs has just introduced 4 percent Free-on-Board (FOB) on imported cargo.

“I don’t think it is the right time for

them to renew, to increase license fees.

“It is the wrong time because the country is actually faced with a lot of challenges.

“The challenges are, one,exchange rates. A lot of people have lost their job. Even people cannot renew most of their licenses.

“When you look at the license renewal, it is based on the performance.

Many people might renew and after the whole thing,they don’t have any jobs to

do.

“So,I don’t think it is the right time for them because as the customs was renewing, is trying to bring

in 4% of FOB and so many charges.

“And this is going to hit the agents, hit the importers, hit the

manufacturers,hit the economy.

“When you increase, many of them cannot even move out from their homes.

The port is not a friendly place. A lot of things that are happening at the port are not coordinated.

“More than 70% of people have left the port industry.

“So,customs should have reasons and seek opinion of people before they start to increase.

“That money they are increasing is for their own .

“When the last time they reviewed the whole thing, I was in the forefront.

“The last time it was reviewed from N10,000 to N200,000” Amiwero declared.

Both Barrister Ada Akpunonu and Otunba Olasupo Komolafe of the ANLCA shared similar sentiments on the issue.

Akpunonu seemed to be carefree about the issue because, according to her, the challenges which agents are facing at the port are overwhelming and frustrating.

She lamented that while the agents were battling with the charges of terminal operators, Customs came with the payment of 4 percent Free-on-Board (FOB) levy and now the hike in licensing fee renewal.

” I don’t want to talk about this issue.

If they like, let them increase, when the economy collapses , we shall all be affected”

” Let the Customs increase, those who have money will renew and those who don’t have will be thrown out of job and the rate of unemployment will increase” Akpunonu said in a tired tone.

Otunba Komolafe described the proposed hike as an additional burden on agents who are already groaning in pains over multiple charges at the port.

” Where do they want us to get money? Do they think we pick money on the ground? ,the ANLCA Chieftain asked rhetorically.

He said some agents may not be able to even utilize their license for a whole years due to lack of job.

He claimed that the hike will throw many out of the job.

Freight Monitor

Amiwero mocks ANLCA, three other freight forwarding groups over plan not to pay POF.

— describes them as gathering of strange bedfellows

Funso OLOJO

The last is yet to be been heard of the intrigues, acrimony and bellyaching that greeted the court judgement which invalidated the payment of the controversial Practitioners Operating Fees (POF)by freight forwarders.

It could be recalled that the factional President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licenced Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Eyis Amiwero, secured a court victory against the payment of the POF by Customs brokers when on May 26th, 2025, Justice D.E Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered a landmark judgment in a suit No Suit No. FHC/CS/765/2018 between NCMDLCA vs. 1. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, 2. NPA and 3. CRFFN in which he declared the collection of the controversial POF illegal.

However, on Friday, June 18th, 2025, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) led four out of the five freight forwarding groups registered with the Council for the Regulation of freight forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to announce their resolve to enforce the judgment of the Lagos High Court by stopping the payment of POF.

The other associations which allegedly connived with ANLCA to rebel against the CRFFN included the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) and a factional National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA).

But Amiwero, who achieved the hard- won court victory over CRFFN, mocked the gathering of the four other associations, describing them as “strange bedfellows”.

”Just look at the gathering of these strange bedfellows, ganging up together to reap where they did not sow.

“A case of ‘my enemy, who is the enemy of my enemy, is now my friend.’

“When they slept on their rights and were busy fighting over the sharing formula of the POF, they never saw CRFFN action as illegal.

“Where were they when Lucky Amiwero single-handedly pursued the case and secured the judgment?

“Some of them even bashed Amiwero for challenging CRFFN, but now, have gathered to enjoy relief from another man’s struggle.

” Pushed by the frustration of not getting any share as CRFFN said that a Consultant fraudulently swallowed everything, they’ve now latched onto Amiwero’s court judgment, in revenge of those that outsmarted them in the Council’s politics and booties sharing” Amiwero declared in a derisive note.

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), which boycotted the meeting of the “strange bedfellows”, also dismissed the group as ” selfish and untrustworthy”

“The above ugly remarks by Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero concerning these individuals clearly portray them as untrustworthy and confused persons.

” They can best be described as a bunch of dribblers and directionless folks.

” We have waited to hear their reaction to these highly uncomplimentary remarks but discovered they lacked the wisdom to decode the weighty nature and the implications of Mr. Lucky’s comments, which completely smeared and eroded their credibility and made them interlopers in the industry” NAGAFF High Command declared.

NAGAFF, which reacted through its Board of Trustees (BOT)to the plan of the other registered freight forwarders over their plan to stop payment of the POF, has called in the CRFFN to deregister these rebellious groups while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, should use legal instrument to ensure that the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) withdraw their Certificate of Registration.

NAGAFF claimed these punitive measures became necessary because the group has committed economic sabotage against the Federal government by denying the government it’s revenue through their refusal to pay the POF.

“The Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E Adegboyega Oyetola, is being encouraged to deregister forthwith the four ailing associations and move on to recommend to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to withdraw their certificates of registration based on threats to revenue due to government of the federation”, stated NAGAFF.

The association however believed that government should allow Amiwero and his group to exit the CRFFN platform in order to give peace a chance so that the CRFFN could collect the POF unhindered.

“The authorities should allow the factional President of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero’s group and their accomplices to go as they wish and allow the CRFFN to face its mandate as provided by law.

“We are convinced that the CRFFN will stabilize and be more focused if these elements are granted their request to exit.

“We suspect that this group is being sponsored by the enemies of the state who are hell-bent on sabotaging the good efforts of the government.

“One of the worst crimes anyone can commit against the state is to deny the government its statutory revenue

” The antecedents of these groups in question had already portrayed them as non-progressive minds whose activities in the ports need to be watched” NAGAFF stated.