By Val Iwuchukwu
The unsealing of the National Secretariat by the Police this year wouldn’t have ended better.
That Judgment of 5th December has far reaching consequences. If their suit was not dismissed. It means that the interim order granted by the same court against NECOM would stand permanently.
This would also mean that everything done by NECOM would be null and void including the NEC/AGM at Owerri and supervision of BOT election of 2020.
The Plaintiffs through their Lawyers brought a strong, yet persuasive argument against the Abeokuta High Court Judgment. The honorable Court also dismissed suit and advised them to go to Appellate Court if they are dissatisfied.
Thank God for ‘Rule of Law’, which is better than ‘Rule of Force’. When Intel got to NECOM on 24th August, 2022 some aggrieved members of ANLCA led by one Alhaji Mustapha were coming to take over the National Secretariat, some suggested that NECOM should organise thugs to face them and prevent them from perfecting their plans.
It was, however, quickly jettisoned because that would have given the Police the impetus to seal the Secretariat which was what the aggressors wanted. To them, if they can’t have it, then break it and seal it.
NECOM proceeded with their scheduled visit to Lekki Seaport. Despite no resistance, the Police went on to seal the Secretariat. They pinned their decision on the Interim Order (which supposed to have expire by effluxion of time) of this same Court.
Now, Judgment from the same Court has dismissed their application to sack NECOM, BOT, and others so that their dream Interim Government could prevail.
Their application that NECOM should be held in contempt for disobeying Court Order to hold NEC/AGM in 2020 and electing another BOT when a suit is pending, approving a new constitution among other action in Owerri.
But the Court dismissed all of those application in a row, noting that it was frivolous and lacking in merit. This time Police had no choice than to unseal the Secretariat and allow the original landlords to access their property. That’s ‘Rule Of Law’.
Personally, I am not surprised, it has been prophesised from the very beginning. Tony Iju told me Ugomba (my titled name) “don’t worry it will be well, victory is certain” he also told me that there will be storm that will expose those who are not with us.
ANLCA President, Dr. Farinto made it clear that by the end of August, something will happen that will lead to the end of ANLCA crisis. He described it as switching of the heart of the symbolic monster that is holding the Association.
On August 25th, I wrote here that even if they have all the contact in this world. Even if they do all the PR in this world and all the Police in Nigeria support them that it will get to a stage they will no longer sustain it.
That we should trust the ability of NECOM and Stakeholders to go round it successfully. I argued that time will come when Almighty God will reveal himself in his great Omnipotence. To him be the glory.
*Val Iwuchukwu is the Seniour Special Assistant Media to the National President of ANLCA
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