Despite what seems to appear like a long wait,  Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha has finally   take over, formally as the new Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) subsequent to  expiration of the three months transition period granted to Chief Henry Njoku to conclude his exit as the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) after ten years of his continuous tenure.

While speaking to newsmen at the end of their inaugural meeting at the ANLCA National Secretariat in Lagos Wednesday, Mustapha stated that following the expiration of the transitional period granted the former Chairman, Njoku, a new leadership of the Board had taken off on the 13th of July, 2018.

He however used the occasion to state that there was no crisis in the association as being speculated in some quarters but rather a little misunderstanding within the members of the Board which he hoped would be resolved soon

.Alhaji Mustapha maintained that contrary to the opinion in some quarters; the new Board was not in any way against the leadership of the  new ANLCA President, Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike adding that they were solidly behind his leadership to perfect whatever was left behind by Prince Olayiwola Shittu’s administration.

In his words,” As you are all aware, let me restate it that as far as we are concerned, there is no crisis in ANLCA but rather what we have is misunderstanding within ourselves and which very soon will be resolved. And let me also clear that as against the impression that anybody will be having, that probably this Board is against the leadership of the new President, Tony Iju, we are not in any way against his leadership rather we are here to solidly support him and how to move ANLCA forward. But then, whatever will be the issue within us actually will be resolved.

“So, we need to let you know that on 13th of July, a new leadership under my humble self and my Vice Chairman, Chief Dennis Okafor and the Board Secretary, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi has actually taken off as the new leaders of the Board and irrespective of whatever intention or opinion anybody may be having against it, the point remains that this is democracy, it is a game of number. Where you are having eight members and the five of us have agreed that we need a change of leadership after ten years of Henry Njoku as the Chairman and I think that is enough and that subsists and by the grace of God, that will surely be and there is no reversing.

” I want to also let you know that as against whatever intention anybody may be having, that probably the Board may be coming back to have another election after the 13th of April, no, what we have done in Durbar Hotels on the 13th of April remains and until when and where the Board decides later in their decision that we want to have another election, that remains for now. And more importantly again is that, we are out to actually move ANLCA forward, wherever the previous administration under Prince Olayiwola Shittu must have stopped, what is our focus today is to join hands with Tony Iju to move the association forward.

“It is not a half-baked issue and if it is not good enough, it is not good enough. What we want after Olayiwola Shittu, is to perfect whatever he has done and wherever he has left ANLCA, in the next few months, we want to see it going beyond that”.he quipped