Farinto, who completed his three years tenure late last year, was barred from seeking re-election by the Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) in a controversial election held this month.
In an exclusive interview with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY, the embattled former TCIP Chapter Chairman claimed that the election, which produced his archrival, Mr. Kayode Oyinlola, as new Chapter Chairman, did not have the backing of the ANLCA BoT.
“I put a call to the Secretary of the BoT, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, who said he is only aware of the 3rd of July (as election date). I also put a call to the Chairman BoT and complained about this and he told me that he directed Mukaila that since he has sent out a text for the 3rd of July the election should still hold on that day. Immediately I heard that, I told my people that the body supervising ASECO has said that election will hold as stipulated on the 3rd of July”, Farinto told SHIPS & PORTS DAILY during the exclusive interview.
He further added: “It is the responsibility and legitimate duty of the Board to conduct the election of ANLCA to even pick the Chairman of ASECO, conduct the election and when the election is concluded the Board hands over to the National Executive Council to swear them in but you now find a situation where the National President supervises ASECO. The BoT gives instruction the President will give counter-instruction and that is why I say the ASECO is a biased umpire. The long and short of this issue is that the fraudulently conducted election is as a result of conspiracy between the Nigeria Customs Service management team and our National President.”
But the ANLCA BoT Chairman, Chief Henry Njoku, speaking during a retreat of the association held in Festac Town, Lagos over the weekend, carpeted Farinto over the impression created by the latter that there was disharmony between the BoT and the National President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu over the election.
Njoku, in his remarks during the retreat attended by several members of the association, said that the elections conducted into the various offices of ANLCA’s Western Zone including the TCIP Chapter was free and fair as it has been hailed by even die-hard members.
Chief Njoku advised “winners and losers in the free and fair elections to always focus on the association’s mission and vision, and forget ethnic sentiments and personal aggrandizement.”
Prince Shittu, in his address at the retreat, solicited continuous cooperation of the members in entrenching professionalism within the body.
Shittu said the recent Customs Brokers Association of the Year in Africa Award bagged by ANLCA is a proof of the increasing recognition of ANLCA activities internationally and the willingness of foreigners to relate professionally with the body.
The retreat also featured lectures by invited speakers including the former Lagos State Commissioner of Transport and current Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Professor Bamidele Badejo.
Badejo advised members on compliance, integrity, professional execution of customs brokerage jobs and record keeping. He said ANLCA members must move away from the rudimentary ways of cargo clearance and embrace modern day ICT-tools enabled cargo clearance.
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