A new era beckons on the Onne Seaport and Eastern Premier Port Area 1 Port Harcourt, Rivers State chapters of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) as the newly inaugurated chairmen and executive members promise a cohesive and all-inclusive leadership that is poised to pursue legacies that will leave the association better than they met it
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) national body has issued certificates of returns to the newly elected chairmen of chapters nationwide in an election conducted by members of the ASECO and adjudged peaceful.
The inauguration and issuance of certificate of return was done by the Chairman of ANLCA Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha at the ANLCA National Secretariat (Dikko Inde House), Amuwo Odofin Lagos State on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
Leadership of the association pledged that in its bid to forge ahead in oneness ANLCA must not allow any cracks in its ranks due to election matters.
Speaking at the inauguration, ANLCA National President, Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji said peace and progress has returned to ANLCA and that the era of having various camps and caucuses was gone for good, adding that the recent election has further strengthened the unity among members of the association.
The newly inaugurated Chairman of Onne Seaport Chapter of the association, Chief Godwin Ifeanyi Isikaku (Onwa), who pledged to support and work with the National President in reconciling all aggrieved members, expressed his readiness to work with good ideas of his opponents that contested with him during the election.
Speaking with journalists after the inauguration of chapter executives, Isikaku expressed the hope that the association under his leadership will build a 30-room guest house with a 500 capacity conference hall for members’ relaxation and other activities, adding that the construction will commence after three months of assuming office and will also include the purchase of more buses to compliment the ones on ground for ease of transportation and other logistics.
On his plans to move Onne Chapter of ANLCA forward, Isikaku said: “I will consolidate on the efforts and achievements of the founding fathers as we know a man born in the year 1954 by now should be a grandfather already.”
Speaking further, he said the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has been introducing different policies to facilitate trade and the recent one been B’Odogwu could not be wished away.
He stressed the need to continue to train and retrain members to be abreast of current realities as freighters and agents will continue to operate harmoniously with the Customs, promising to work in collaboration with men and officers of the Service to ensure seamless exit of duty paid cargoes at the Onne Seaport Chapter.
On his part, the newly inaugurated Chairman of ANLCA at the Eastern Premier Port Area 1 Port Harcourt Rivers State, Dr. Emmanuel Okoh, pledged to work alongside with members of the executive despite the challenges and restore Area 1 Premier Port to its full operational capacity.
He also promised to do his best with the support of his executive, collapse all existing structures within the chapter and provide a secretariat during the course of his administration for the good of the association, saying: “With God all things are possible.”
At the official hand over of the mantle of leadership of ANLCA Onne Seaport Chapter at the Secretariat (Ossy Prestige House), Mike Ebeatu handed over the baton to the new Chairman Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku.
The newly sworn-in executives of the association led by Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku vowed to pioneer the affairs of the association for the next four years with all sense of responsibility and accountability, and assured that they will strive to work with the support of executives and all stakeholders.
Isikaku, who is Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Godify Group of Companies Limited (Operators of Slot Bonded Terminal), also promised to run an all-inclusive administration just as he re-affirmed his campaign manifesto and promises of a new association guest house and conference hall, provide healthcare, insurance and welfare packages for members and additional bus to ease the daily movement of transportation and logistics services, among others.
He disclosed that he has known Ebeatu for over 20 years and that their relationship and friendship could not be strained by the politics of association matters.
