The newly sworn-in chapter chairman of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Onne Seaport chapter, Chief Godwin Ifeanyi Isikaku (Onwa), has said that he will seek the support of ANLCA national president, to reconcile all aggrieved chapter members.
Chief Godwin Ifeanyi Isikaku (Onwa), who made the disclosure shortly after being inaugurated by the national president of ANLCA, Mr. Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji, alongside BoT and ASECO members, as the chapter chairman of Onne Seaport, Rivers State, on Thursday, 6th of March, 2025 at ANLCA National Secretariat (Dikko Inde House), Lagos State, expressed his readiness to work with every good idea(s) of his 4 opponents during the chairmanship election that took place on the 6th of February, 2025 at Hotel Presidential, PortHarcourt, Rivers State.
Responding on his plans to move his chapter forward, Chief Isikaku opined that his administration will build a 30 room guests house with a 500 capacity conference hall for chapter members’ relaxation and activities.
He further emphasized on his willingness to purchase more buses to compliment the one on ground, for ease of transportation and other logistics of the chapter.
On his assessment of ANLCA as a body over the years, Chief Isikaku described ANLCA as a grandfather, saying that a man born in the year 1954 is already a grandfather, hence the need for them to continue to consolidate on the efforts and achievements of the founding fathers.
On the relationship between ANLCA and Nigeria Customs Agents, as well as the introduction of B’Odogwu, amongst others in the operational activities of Nigeria Customs Service; Chief Isikaku affirmed that the relationship has been cordial, adding that the Nigeria Customs Service has been coming up with different operational packages over the years, and that the freight forwarders have been operating harmoniously with the Customs and its policies over the years.
The Onne chapter chairman further stated that the introduction of B’Odogwu, among others cannot be exceptional, hence, the need to continue to train and retrain their members to be abreast of current realities on ground.
He, in the meantime, promised to work in collaboration with CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and his management team, to ensure 24/7 seamless exit of duty paid cargoes at Onne Seaport chapter.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen shortly after the inauguration of chapter Executives, Dr. Shegun Alabi, a former chapter Executive of Apapa Seaport, described the harmonization effort of ANLCA BoT as meaningless, having failed to carry out the process before the election.
Dr. Alabi maintained that an election was conducted and someone won the election with a wider margin of votes cast, adding that even the said number of void votes didn’t even affect the valid votes of the supposed winner.
On whether or not the harmonization will take the chapter to its expected destination, Mr. Afolabi said he hoped it works.
In the same vein, the newly sworn-in chapter chairman of Area 1 Seaport, PortHarcourt, Rivers State, Mr. Emmanuel Okoh, has promised to do his best, alongside his Exco members to bring the Area 1 port back to its operational capacity, despite the challenges.
Mr. Okoh, who responded to his candidacy and emergence as Area 1 chapter chairman of ANLCA as an impossibility, maintained that with God all things are possible.
While disclosing his intention to collapse all existing structure at the chapter for the good of the association, promised to do his best to provide a secretariat for the chapter in the course of his administration, with the collective support of his Exco.
