The President, National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, has accused the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwards (NAGAFF) of fuelling the leadership crisis rocking the council.
Amiwero made the accusation during an exclusive interview with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY.
He accused the leadership of NAGAFF of supporting those he called “criminal elements parading themselves as council officials.”
“Ndee’s office is at NAGAFF village. What is he doing there if he is truly a member of the council? The same applies to Ejiofor who was parading himself as the National President before he was arrested and arraigned by the police,” Amiwero said.
Ben Ndee is the National Secretary of the Festus Ejiofor-led faction of the NCMDLCA.
“NAGAFF is the mastermind of the crisis in the national council because if these people are coming to NAGAFF and using the place as offices then they are members of NAGAFF or have any of them joined council before because if they have, they won’t have forged the certificate,” he said.
Amiwero dispelled reports that the NCMDLCA was factionalised.
“The council does not have any faction. We have the General Secretary who also has his office and I am the President, you don’t unite people who are criminals or do not have license. How can someone who does not have a customs license be regarded as the president of the council? Where is their office?” he asked.
“We have a secretariat but does Ndee faction have an office? Also why is NAGAFF involved in the affairs of other associations? If we want to start what they are doing, there will be bloodshed. That was the reason why we reported them to the government and they were all picked up,” Amiwero said.
Crisis erupted in the NCMDLCA in 2009 when a faction led by Festus Ejiofor said it had removed Lucky Amiwero as president.
Ejiofor was however arrested in January by policemen attached to the Tin Can Island Port division of the Western Port Police Command, Lagos on allegation of forgery of NCMDLCA’s membership certificate.
He was subsequently arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a two-count charge of forgery. After pleading not guilty to the charges, he was granted bail in the sum of N100,000 and two sureties in like sum.
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