The Patron of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA, chief Henry Njoku says the purported dissolution of the National Executive Committee NECOM of the Association as credited to one Dapo Olawumi who alleged that Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha a self acclaimed ANLCA board of Trustees Chairman has dissolved the NECOM was a ruse, malicious, misleading and inconsistent with ANLCA supreme constitution.

Addressing journalists in his office in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital recently, Njoku said, ” My attention has been drawn to a publication credited to Dapo Olawumi that the National Executive Committee NECOM of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA has been dissolved by Taiwo Mustapha who was alleged to be the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of ANLCA and acted in that capacity to purport to have dissolved the NECOM”

The visibly angry ANLCA Patron and chief executive officer of Harritex group of companies, Chief Henry Njoku,  said he would not have wasted his time replying to such hoax and garbage being dished out by those who did not mean well for the association but to put the record straight added , “I wish to state that such publication is misleading and such dissolution is inconsistent with ANLCA’s supreme constitution and only reflects the wish of those who do not mean well for ANLCA”,  insisting that “all well-meaning members of ANLCA should disregard the said unconstitutional act and remain calm.”

Speaking further, Njoku said that Taiwo Mustapha who has been specifically restrained by a Federal high Court sitting in Lagos in 2018 in suit no FHC/L/CS/1274 /2018 from parading himself as Chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA is neither a member of Board of Trustees of ANLCA nor the Chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA registered and recognized by Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja, and wondered where such power to dissolve ANLCA NECOM was gotten even as he maintained that “Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha and his cohorts have no power under ANLCA’s  supreme constitution to announce such dissolution and appointment as Taiwo Mustapha has been specifically restrained by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos in suit no FHC/L/CS/1274 /2018 from parading himself as Chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA. ”

In a related development, the Eastern Zonal executive committee of ANLCA has rejected in its entirety the purported dissolution of ANLCA National Executive Committee ably led by the Acting National president, Dr Farinto Collins.

This position was disclosed to Newsmen in Port Harcourt by the Zonal Secretary Sir Joshua Ahuama on behalf of the Zonal Chairman Chief Uche Martins.

Rising from an emergency meeting weekend , Ahuama said, the zone having perused all the relevant provisions, sections and sub-sections of the ANLCA constitution has decided to solidly stand  on the decisions  of the National Executive council (NEC) held on Wednesday July 12, 2023 at RockView Hotel Abuja, extending the tenure of the current NECOM by three months in line with ANLCA supreme constitution and also upheld the NEC decision to grant one month extension request by the Association Electoral Commission (ASECO) to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

The zone insisted that NEC is the only organ of the Association saddled with such responsibilities and power for extension as contained in the ANLCA constitution and wondered why anybody or group of persons should announce the dissolution  of the National Executive Committee and appoint an administrator without recourse to the ANLCA constitution.

He described such act as unconstitutional which violated the provisions of the Association’s constitution, even as the zone dissociated herself from the alleged dissolution of NECOM while pledging her unwavering loyalty to the Acting National president Dr Farinto Collins led administration.

Recall that ANLCA which is the oldest Maritime association in Nigeria has been engulfed in a lingering crisis for many years which has defied every effort to resolve it.

Industry watchers believed that the recent moves made by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) would have solved the problem, but with the situation on ground one may wont to believe that the end to this lingering crisis might not be in sight after all.

Credit: Bon Peters

By:Samuel Fasanmi

One of my pastors will always call me ‘Sanmi’ instead of Fasanmi. Fasanmi simply means Ifa oracle is profitable to me, and my pastor felt that in calling me Fasanmi, he was indulging in idolatry! Such is the level to which Pentecostalism has tied us to delirious treadmill of profanity in Nigeria.

The same pastor feels comfortable with names like Adeboye, Kumuyi, Ajibade, Aina, or Ilori. It simply showed his lack of depth in Yoruba language and literature. The suffix Ade, for example, which looks like a crown to adorn the king’s head, is usually more than a crown in Yoruba culture. The crown is also a symbol of worship in the Yoruba palace, and a lot of sacrifices comes with such worship. That is why a king can use his crown to place a curse on anyone, and it will come to pass.

Iku is also one of the orisas in Yoruba land. So, Kumuyi simply means the god of Iku has brought a special son. All the special children, like Taiwo and Kehinde, Aina, Ojo, and Ilori, have special panegyrics that portend their spiritual and physical talents.

In Ifa Corpus, specifically Odu Ifa 𝑂𝑔𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎 𝑀𝑒𝑗𝑖, the stories of three women—Aboru, Aboye, and Abosise—who rendered special help to Òrúnmìlà were told. It was said that in a bid for Orunmila to consult Olodumare, these three women were like ombudsmen that must be appeased. Orunmila made sacrifices to appease these women, and he had an easy passage to see Olodumare. Just for their power and kindness, Orunmila proposed marriage to them, and the harmony of love ensued among them. In honouring these powerful women, Orunmila asserted that anyone who wants to see Iyanifa or Babalawo must first pay homage to 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑟𝑢, 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑦𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑠𝑒!

Another version of the significance of Aboru, Aboye, and Abosise can as well be found in Odu Ifa 𝑂𝑔𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎 𝑀𝑒𝑗𝑖, where it was said that anyone who could mention the names of the three pretty damsels would have the liberty of having them as wives. Only Tela Oko was able to mention their names after several other men had failed in their attempts to do so. The failed men who were kept on the gallows were released and showed their appreciation to Tela Oko. However, Tela Oko asked the men to thank Aboru, Aboye, and Abosise. Since then, those names have grown from gratitude to homage, and greetings among Ifa practitioners.

Tope Alabi is a gospel singer who is fond of using Yoruba words in praising God (Olodumare). Psychologist Rhine has Tope Alabi in mind in his description of extrasensory perception, also called the sixth sense. Rhine defined the sixth sense as ‘a claimed paranormal ability pertaining to the reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind.’

Tope Alabi’s songs are tonics for the soul. She weaves Yoruba literature around biblical stories and conveys them in narratives, leaving one in unimaginable awe and unspeakable joy. She is rich in words, deep in thoughts, philosophical in composition, and beautiful to behold.

Tope’s lyrics are deep, and the recent controversies brewing about her word usage are reflections of a society suffering from cultural diffusion, pretentious religious dogma, and a poor understanding of Yoruba language and culture. Firstly, it was Oniduro’s saga. She succinctly answered the Oniduro question in Igbowo Eda through Alagbawi Mi by differentiating Oniduro from Alagbawi. This time around, she went to the spiritual field to fetch the names Aboru, Aboye, and Abosise, and as is her wont, she gospelized them! That is her new offence!

The three names, as explained in Odu Ifa Ogunda Meji, are actually more than names. No doubt, the Babalawos and Iyanifas use them as routine greetings. So also, any of the words can be used to pay homage to the elders in Yorubaland—I am sure this will jolt some of the Yorubas reading this! We have actually demonized some of the symbols of our culture, language, names, and even gods!

Till now, some Pentecostalists have believed that Satan is Esu which is not true! Aboru, Aboye, and Abosise are names; and nothing is wrong with using anything created by Olodumare in praising him! Sheep, Lamb, Rock, etc. were used in the Bible to denote God or Jesus and to compare His greatness.

Let Tope Alabi be! Allow her to vent her tentacle of praising God to anything that filters through her sixth sense. Allow her antennae of praise to roam every religious space in Yoruba land and the world. Allow her to spread the lurch embedded in Yoruba literature with her cheery creativity and talents. Tope is changing our world with her songs. She is truly a reincarnation of Olodumare’s ombudsman, who helps us access the things of God through her uncommon praises.

Samuel Fasanmi

…with a special focus on rural development and the execution of feasible policies)

Enugu State got recently recognized in the National news as one of the top six states of the Nigerian Federation surviving on its internally generated revenue. This news sparked off debates among people from resident citizens to political stakeholders and diaspora communities straddling the fence in either support or opposition

.

The management of funding in Nigerian states is an ongoing uphill task, as evidenced by the low number of 6 out of 36 states that survive without the monthly federal allocation and reflects a major achievement by the Enugu State government.

This feat is due to the combined efforts of the leaders who have shown consistency in pushing and prioritizing top policies that positively affect the state both in real-time and future long term.

The Leadership

Right from the inception of the fourth republic in Enugu State in 1999, Enugu continues to recover from the history of military-style administration and repression which has existed for over two decades. There have been noticeable improvements in the state’s administration that continues to date in the Ugwuanyi’s administration.

In Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi popularly addressed by the moniker, GburuGburu is the third democratically elected governor since 1999 who came into power in the 2015 general elections, after he defeated competitors to emerge as the winner.

He was sworn into power to succeed Governor Sullivan Chime on the 29^th of May 2015 at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu.

On resumption of duty, he instituted his cabinet and members of the current administration. Subsequently, they continue working to grow and build the state with a special focus on rural development and the execution of feasible policies.

In addressing the varied policies of the Enugu State government that strives to impact all the sectors of the state ranging from education, business, and security among others. From the court of public opinion, these policies rank on different levels of effectiveness with positive and negative responses. We explore the verifiable facts on ground.

Enugu State Policies

As earlier mentioned, the policies of the state government have been varied and cover most sectors of the state’s economy. The most important of these policies which are highlighted below are those that have positively impacted the standard of living and quality of life for Enugu State’s residents and indigenes.

One wonderful aspect of the democratic government since 1999 is its continuous focus on human capital development with the policies on:

1. Education

The most important policy that shows governance focus is its provision of affordable and quality education for the children and youth populations. “Education is a weapon through which people can become better or fight subjugation” – Nelson Mandela.

The Enugu State Government is continually funding, expanding and improving access to quality education. By making basic education relatively free and affordable, the state literacy rate has risen to nearly 89%.

This was done by broadening the foundations set by past governments for public schools through the provision of over 50 new classrooms and the renovation of more than 150 old classrooms across several of the public schools scattered through the entire state.

Furthermore, the government of Ugwuanyi, in a bold and unprecedented move to close out competence gaps, also employed an additional 2000 teachers who were posted largely to rural areas.

The consistent payment of teachers’ salaries, building new classrooms, provision of numerous school supplies, students’ scholarships and staff training are among some of the ongoing measures been driven by the government to improve literary levels within just the Basic Education level. Complementary efforts in secondary, tertiary and adult education levels would be examined in the future.

2. Business Development/Investment Attraction

The ease of doing business in Enugu is another aspect that has borne fruition due to efforts by the current administration. The Ugwuanyi led government has fully improved the available resources and facilities that help establish businesses. With Enugu State’s huge available workforce that allows interested parties to tap into available markets. For instance, ICT which holds more than 20% of the world market share and is currently the largest biggest sector worldwide has risen in Enugu with organizations like the Genesys Tech Hub and TechX Innovation Hub who have set up headquarters in the state to train skilled software developers and programmers with support from the government.

The government also established the SME center that connects young people and small-scale businesses to entrepreneurial opportunities. This center provides loans at minimal rates to small scale businesses and conducts training for skilled and unskilled participants interested in setting up businesses.

This focus on business drivers for the state is sure to yield positive results as these SME startups begin to set up, grow and expand in the future.

Moreover, there exists low, effective and transparent taxation, good security and accessible road networks that help boost businesses within the state.

Despite the set governance limitations in not getting directly involved in the establishment and running of industries, the Enugu government seems to have largely focused on creating a more secure and business-friendly environment to encourage private-sector investments.

3. Skill Acquisition Programs/Youth Empowerment

Youth unemployment in Nigeria has reached crisis proportions and Enugu is also affected by this national issue. Although the resident youths are vibrant, skilled and intelligent, too many remain unemployed or under-employed and poses a challenge for the government. This crisis is being managed with targeted collaborative efforts to provide skill acquisition programs as well as offering business aid to young entrepreneurs. This is evidenced by the over 400 traders who are beneficiaries of the popular Ugwuanyi market traders’ initiative, promos and grants.

4. Health

The health status in Nigeria is another area of national crisis and this has been brought to light with the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. At the State level, Enugu is better suited in comparison to neighbouring states in the South East region in the management of health care with reports of coordinated efforts by the government in managing the pandemic.

Under primary and tertiary health care, there are over 360 primary health care centres, 35 cottage hospitals, several district hospitals, and this is topped with the State university teaching hospital, Parklane.

The current government has consolidated on the achievements of the past governments by building new clinics and hospitals alongside improving health infrastructures for existing ones.

The government continues to prioritize the health system of the state to meet the needs and demands of public healthcare which takes a huge chunk of the state’s funding and budget.

This support is further reflected through its offering of free antenatal care and treatment of children under 5 years and free treatment for special cases like HIV and Tuberculosis.

There are ongoing studies in academia on the impact of these health infrastructural developments in the health statistics of the state and these will likely be explored in the future.

5. Roads

“Good roads breed good development”. This oft-quoted phrase perfectly describes the status of roads within Enugu State. Considering the cost implications, yet building public roads is one major infrastructure that the state government continue to invest.

The efforts by the Ugwuanyi’s government in constructing roads that cover most parts of the state to connect rural and urban areas has been extensively extolled.

These roads have given the impacted rural communities a sense of belonging and pride in their state. With farming as the major occupation for most rural indigenes, the improved transportation routes ensure agricultural produce are less likely to perish. Thus food items are easily processed, effectively supplied and made accessible to the public at affordable market worthy prices without complications.

A cursory examination of the human interest perspectives will provide numerous anecdotal evidence as this focus on rural communities has strongly impacted the state’s agricultural industry growth.

6. Security

The final aspect worthy of commendation is the management of security within the state. Across the years, successive governments have enacted policies and procedures that help boost the security levels in the state.

Recently, the government created the Enugu State Neighborhood Watch that works in tandem with community policing and this has reduced the crime rate in numerous communities.

Furthermore, with public outcry and complaints about herdsmen invasion of the state’s forests and farmlands, the Enugu State government created and continues to finance Forest Guards who help police the state’s lands and their efforts have helped immensely.

Also, the government set up channels of communication through the aid of community stakeholders to foster bonds among the Hausa and Fulani migrants where they encourage self-monitoring in these communities to help security agencies fish out deviants who try to threaten the peace.

Finally, the Ugwuanyi’s government has constantly provided automobiles such as cars and trucks from local suppliers like the Innoson Group for the state security agencies to aid their monitoring and safety measures.

Despite these highlighted good policies being driven by this administration, it is not without criticism.

As this administration focuses on improving Enugu State’s capacity, there are some decisions in need of execution to ensure consistent progress.

For instance, in their attempt to get effective government delivery to the people and manage public expectations, the state spends a large part of its funding in employing civil servants and managing political stakeholders. Too many people seem to be the government’s payroll.

Besides, constant acquisition of some non-essential items like cars for public convoys seems to take a toll on the state’s finances. The governor and other politicians need to reduce the number of cars in their convoys and stop buying more.

Lastly is the defensive way most of the government’s criticisms and decisions are handled. Too often, politicians with personal interests, who sometimes are in the same ruling party seem to constantly be on the attack.

Honest and constructive criticism is good for the development of the state, but malicious attacks without evidence seek to divide the state and create bad public opinion among the citizenry.

This distracts the people in government and can better be managed by sharing more stories, facts, figures and information of the collaborative efforts they take in reaching decisions that affect the public.

Adopting these suggestions will help all who are working towards the state’s peace, unity and development.

Edited by Ese Okereka