Reactions are pouring in following the report submitted by the Election Petition Panel set up by the leadership of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to investigate allegations of malpractices in the conduct of its Western Zone Chapters Elections held early this year.
The ANLCA Elections Petition Panel in its report recommended that elections be rerun for all the offices of Apapa Area 1 Chapter, Seme Border Chapter and Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) Chapter; a rerun for all the offices of the Murtalla Muhammed International Airport Chapter, except for that of the Chairman and Secretary; and a rerun for the Chairmanship position of PTML Chapter.
The panel also recommended that elections be rerun for all the offices of Tin-Can Island Chapter, with reference that the immediate past Chairman of the chapter, Mr. Kayode Collins Farinto, who was earlier disqualified from re-contesting in the elections, should be cleared and allowed to seek a second term.
Speaking with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY yesterday on this latest development, Farinto expressed satisfaction with the recommendations of the panel, while applauding members of the association’s National Executive Committee (NECOM) and Board of Trustees (BoT) for setting up the panel, even as he looked forward to their accepting the panel’s verdict.
“I am happy about the results and I want to commend the Chairman of the panel and his members for a very good job. I also want to commend the National Executive Council for at least accepting the verdict and, above all, I want to appreciate our National President; and Chairman, BoT, Chief Henry Njoku. You know this is a new fallout for ANLCA election. We’ve never had a situation where, after election, whatever is your grouse you can complain. That means a very good example is being set. So, I want to appreciate them,” he said.
Also speaking with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY on the issue, Chairman-elect of Apapa Area 1 Chapter, Mr. Olumide Fakanlu, said that he is not alarmed by the verdict of the panel, as, according to him, he is ready to re-contest for the office of Chairman if decided by the national leadership of the association.
In his words: “We’ll wait for the final decision of NECOM and BoT, be it as it may, to affirm true control if it is about re-election. If the final decision is re-election, I am waiting and ready. There is no problem, no fighting.”
SHIPS & PORTS DAILY also got in touch with the Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) Chairman, Alhaji Babatunde Abdulazeez, and the ANLCA Western Zone Coordinator, Prince Ozo Chukwurah, who both confirmed that the panel had submitted its report to the NECOM and the BoT, but declined to react until served copies of the report for their respective perusal.
The panel had also recommended that the ASECO be reconstituted.
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