PRESS STATEMENT
MY attention has been drawn to the sycophantic and a calculated cheap patronage and self image redeeming statements credited to the National President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu in an exclusive interview with the Nigeria Tribune daily Newspaper in its Publication on Thursday , 24th of December, 2015, titled: " Public Hearing: NAGAFF SEEKING UNNECESSARY ATTENTION".
I wish to state categorically that NAGAFF has no problem with Prince Shiitu's continuous expression of interest in NAGAFF affairs all along, but in the context of the said interview, to say the least, it is an open exhibition of envy and the expression of an unhidden sense of feeling threatened with NAGAFF's rising profile.
As a matter of fact, NAGAFF did not expect anything less from the ANLCA President, who has admitted at different fora, that agents under his purview are guilty of great deceit in their brokerage obligations and are LIARS in the service of TRUTH, hence, their penchant for corrupt tendencies in every aspect of professional endeavors.
To me this is not new, as experience has shown that the leadership of ANLCA, over the years has a pedigree in promoting the culture of impunity in the port system, while being a champion in the Game of the "Givers and Takers. Zero tolerance for corrupt dealings does not exist anywhere in their professional templates or conduct as opposed to my Association, NAGAFF, which has been consistent in its insistence on zero tolerance to corruption in all facets of the supply chain.
To express their strong conviction for a thriving corrupt Customs port environment, It’s on record that ANLCA members scornfully laughed at the Comptroller General of Customs, colonel Hameed Ali (Rtd), during his maiden stakeholders meeting held in Apapa Command Conference office, when the CGC threatened to jail anybody caught in corruption or any other form of malpractices.
As such to NAGAFF, this is yet another ANLCA usual, deliberate, clandestine and sycophantic moves among several others by the Past and Present ANLCA leadership, an antics which it had in the past years deployed, all in a bid to discredit, distract, undermine the purposeful, prompt revolutionary leadership of NAGAFF in its public policy advocacy quest for the emancipation, repositioning and realigning of the Freight Forwarders in Nigeria among the comity of the global Freight Forwarding Families, in line with professional institutionalization.
Fortunate, despite such clandestine, nefarious moves and antics by ANLCA under the present leadership over the years against NAGAFF, NAGAFF rather than lose focus is unperturbed and seemingly unstoppable, but deeply committed to exploring its Mission statement, without leaving any stone unturned. As usual, while the ANLCA President continues to play to the gallery, in the pursuit for a continuous and unhindered, thriving corrupt Customs port environment, it is important to pinpoint the issues raised in his so-called expressed interview as follows, though conducted in a manner suggesting of a weeping child, but like Charles Dickens prose theme goes, I will say: "Weep not ANLCA President".
Prince Shiitu insinuated thus:
1). Accused NAGAFF of seeking undue attention, through, a deferred public hearing on a corrupt officer- Our response: What do you expect from a leader who is blind to corruption, thriving under his h nose?
2). Accused NAGAFF of Chickening out on the proposed public hearing, having mentioned name of the corrupt officer in public domain- Our response: This coking from a leader who lacks understanding of decisiveness and correcting measures in a corrupt system.
3). Opined that NAGAFF did not follow up its views with corresponding actions- Our response: Did he expect NAGAFF to pick up arms and hammer to destroy a civil servant, while he (Prince Shittu) sits at one corner laughing?
4). Alleged that NAGAFF chickened out because of external pressure, having been begged by the authority concerned.
Our response: This again has confirmed that the Association he keads (ANLCA) believes in fight-to-finish, taking the law into their own hands as opposed to jaw - jaw.
5). Doubted the facts and evidences at NAGAFF disposal to undertake the public hearing, therefore, NAGAFF intention was not right abinitio.
Our response: Unfortunately, Prince Shittu has never contacted NAGAFF to confirm its facts and figures before granting the interview, which is not expected from a leader who never comprehends the liberty of an association to conduct a public hearing or take to opinion pool to ascertain the level of corrupt tendencies of an officer or an agency of Government.
6). Unhappy that NAGAFF botched the public hearing but fearfully admits that corrupt agents under his supervision lacks the competence to hold inquisition against Customs officers.
May I at this juncture submit that NAGAFF did not set out to malign the character of any officer nor tarnish the image of the Nigeria Customs Service with the public hearing. Our intention was to help the management of the NCS in reforming, restructuring and enhancing revenue as spelt out by the Customs Comptroller-General (Retd) Col. Hameed Alli. As a peace loving Association, which believes in responsible partnership with other stakeholders in the industry, we felt there was no need for the public hearing again, after our meeting with the CAC of TinCan Island Port, who promised to look into our grievances. We felt that was the most appropriate honour we can give the NCS management under (Retd) Col. Hameed Allu.
7). Suggested that NAGAFF should not harp or carry on with its anti corruption crusade in the Customs Ports.
Our response: What else can one say of a leader who champions the cause of status quo ante in the port environment, especially, in this time of change.
8). Admitted that Agents under his purview are neck deep in corruption as he is unable to fathom the role of the agents on the rampant, "giver and taker game", which is the reason why ANLCA can never indulge in such crusade.
Our response: This is a truthful, confirmed position and statement of fact.
9). Disappointed, that NAGAFF didn't go ahead to document the said officer to the appropriate authorities, rather than , paving way for the Controller in-charge to put his Area Command in order, as requested.
Our response: No apology to ANLCA, as NAGAFF is on course with its anti corruption drives.
10). Alleged and insisted that every other officer in the port is corrupt, not only the mentioned officer.
Our response: We want to tell the ANLCA Leadership that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. A corrupt free port system begins with you first, then others.
11). Alleged that the NAGAFF move was a blackmail because the said officer, turned down a request for favor, hence, "the noise" as he terms it .
Our response: Mr President, Anlca's stock in trade is known to NAGAFF before now, don't allow our noise making to border you, rather, face and offer purposeful leadership to your members.
Furthermore, in offering a general reaction to the above mudslinging orchestrated by envy and sycophancy, I want to remind the ANLCA Leadership, that, as far as the maritime industry is concerned, especially the freight forwarding sub sector of our economy, that, in an ideal maritime professional inclination and setting, the activities of both NAGAFF and ANLCA have been likened to the exploits of a Pirate, a Buccaneer that is always ready to weigh anchor from the safe harbour of material and historical certainty. Setting out on the high seas of imagination with his conscripted crew of facts, without balking or compromising tyranny, but makes them swab his decks or perch for hours in his crow's nest crying whales, dance a sailor's horn pipe for his pleasures, or even, in extremity, walk the plank.
In other words, as professionals in the maritime environment, we are under obligation to sacrifice reality to the high truth of our professional art for the interest of the Nation. Succinctly put, professionalism is respected and appreciated based on the high morals and truth exhibited by the professionals themselves in discharging their services, which are judged by the level of transparency and its fidelity in every steps undertaken and facts of presentations.
Unfortunately, the ANLCA leadership is at ease and prefers to propagate the gospel of professional misconduct, compromises and unethical practices all the way, all in a bid to amassing wealth by conspiracy, by hook or crook with their traveling cohorts in the ongoing game of "you rub my back, I rub yours" in the Customs ports environment. ANLCA's gross impunities and activities over the years is the main reason why the Nigeria Customs Service has not achieved reasonable compliance level in trade matters, especially as it borders on true declarations; even the ANLCA President can attest to this fact.
As for the eleven issues raised by the Leadership of ANLCA, bothering on his perception of NAGAFF's style of public policy advocacy drives, it's obvious that the ANLCA leadership resorts to its usual wanton flair to discredit NAGAFF.
A careful thought over the position of ANLCA on the issue in focus reveals ANLCA's usual "renegotiated compromise, unrepentant envy and sycophancy".
Simply, its resolution is targeted in collusion (doing the biding of their masters) to, either on one hand, collaborate to cheaply blackmail, accuse, allege, insinuate and offer baseless opinion about NAGAFF or that, on the other hand exhibiting its usual practices.
ANLCA by way of dramatizing its self- motivated sympathy to curry and attract undue favoritism with the said officer or the Service at large, which has been its stock in trade, in the ever increasing game of the "givers and the takers" in the Customs ports, abinitio.
Suffice to Counsel the leadership of ANLCA as follows:
a). As part of our collective quest to change and positively contribute in positioning the port system for the better, by correcting wrong practices in all facets of the port system, first we owe it a duty to install the leadership that has the interest of players in the industry at heart, where it borders on reporting operational challenges occasioned by human barrier elements.
NAGAFF's public policy advocacy is always propelled by an urgency for the respect to due process, compliance to rules of engagement and adherence to international best practices, hence, we drive and anchor our public policy advocacy on the principles of persuasion, Consultation, Dialogue, Negotiations and Communication.
b). NAGAFF, pursuance to our public policy advocacy is affiliated to relevant international and national Organizations and agencies, so as to optimally achieve it's corporate aims and objectives.
c). Operationally, we identify professional bottlenecks or inimical policies to trade, then constructively criticize it offering superior arguments and subsequently, we, professionally engage the government, its agencies or officers by offering effective suggestions.
In most cases we deploy the principles of persuasion and consultation to review and readdress any given issue at a stake. When this fails we still deploy further , Dialogue and Negotiation by going a step higher, all in a process or furtherance to correcting the wrongs.
d). Under our Communication mandate, we deplore and effectively use tools such as; official complaints, written protests, Press Releases, special reports, position papers, articles, conduct opinion polls, carry out public hearing, etc. where and when necessary.
e). By our affiliation with the Independent Corrupt and other Related Offences Commission -ICPC, our core duty in this regard, is to effectively combine public policy and whistle blowing as essential tool in combating corrupt practices as contained in the ICPC statute books.
f). NAGAFF is the only professional freight forwarding Association, with an anti corruption department, of National Executive Council level, deriving its power to arrest and hand over to the police from the Constitution of the Federal republic, having a mandate to identify, investigate, consult and undertake a public hearing as at when necessary and report findings and recommendations to appropriate authority. As such, NAGAFF shall from time to time undertake public hearing on corrupt officers when the need arises, but should there be a deliberate, concerted and sincere efforts to stop or correct the seeming corrupt acts, then it's whistle blowing objective has been achieved.
Without much tutorial to the leadership of ANLCA, it should take firm note, that, NAGAFF is poised to intensify It's advocacy quest beyond public hearing to effecting arrest if the need arises. Compromises can only be considered if the ailing agency , officer or members purge themselves or are repentant of their corrupt ways/acts.
In this light our whistle blowing objective is achieved. In the event that it fails, we will consult further, thereafter, act and report accordingly.
May I therefore, advise Anlca leadership , to learn how to consult widely over issues that are not too clear to you before you quickly jump to granting interview, even if responsible partnership doesn't mean anything to it.
This was our decision to put the public hearing on hold.
Thank you. God bless.
Chief Dr. Eugene Nweke.
National President.
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