We will not succumb to blackmail in our effort to recover 14 Vehicles .-Tanko
By Frank Odinukaeze
The National Chairman, 100% Compliance Nagaff, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim has said that he and his team wil not be perturbed by insinuations making the rounds that he and his team may have compromised in the quest to retrieve 14 containers held in Clarion Bonded Terminal.
The 100% Compliance National Chairman, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim stated this recently in a chat with News men in Lagos.
Tanko debunked the insinuations that the Compliaince team may have been compromised to sweep the matter under the carpet.
Tanko said, ” it is very painful to stake all you have, your hard earned money, your reputation, your contacts and all, to ensure that you clean up the system only for some people somewhere to begin to blackmail and try to tarnish and paint you in unsavory colours, it’s most painful to hear all these allegations but life must go on, people must learn to do the right things and there must be those whose preoccupation is to check these mind bugging infractions, we cannot be deterred.”
Explaining why the Clarion case seem to be dragging, Tanko said that he has elected to exhaust all avenue for dialogue even as the Customs Area Controller, TinCan Customs Command, Comptroller Kunle Oloyede is intervening and investigating the matter.
“We discovered that the Clarion people on their own, did transfer of Agency to use another Authority for the Shipping Company to release the 19 containers to them. The facts are before the police, that was what led to picketing Clarion. We wrote the CAC of TinCan for him to know what was happening and he pleaded for us to give him sometime to investigate and since he was new at TinCan Customs, we obliged and withdrew our men simply to respect the Controller because he also respected us by calling us to hear from our own side”he said, Stressing that dialogue is always key in every situation.
Furthermore, Tanko explained that at the meeting called by the CAC, which had the Founder of Nagaff, Dr. B.O. Aniebonam and the Dr. Tochukwu Ezisi present, “Controller Oloyede requested I write a reminder to him on the matter and I was also asked by Founder to withdraw the case from the police as a mark of honour. So I asked the police to soft pedal to pave way for dialogue but to my surprise, the police came to my house last week to invite me over to their station based on alleged threat to life by Clarion. That on the day we picketed Clarion, that I threatened to kill people if the 14 vehicles were not released and that at the said day 15 vehicles were missing.”
Continuing, The Chairman 100 per cent compliance said that he has always gone about this business in a transparent manner, “I am sure they don’t know my background, you see whatever I do, I always keep my cards open, I ensure I am transparent. Even the police knew we were going to picket Clarion on that day, because I informed them and we went there with Journalists and also those from TV houses who captured what transpired on camera. So there’s no question about what transpired because it was in the open.” he stated.
He also revealed that the CAC TinCan had a meeting where both sides were asked to be present but instead, Clarion refused to appear opting to send the same man who told the police that he does not speak for Clarion. I drew the CAC’s attention to the fact that Claron has to be present for any meaningful progress to be made on this case. The meeting was then rescheduled for the 10th of May, 2022, with the CAC sounding a note of warning that Clarion must be physically present. So that’s where we are presently. You can see how far we have gone on this case only to be accused of being settled back door. It is not everything that I Will push to the public domain, people should know that we are doing due diligence in this matter and we will not keep quiet ” he said
Speaking further, he said “people should not blame Tanko for the pace of this Clarion case or some other cases that have not gone the way they expected; let me borrow the words of the former MD of NPA, Hadiza Bala -Usman, “I have a limit to what I can do” I am not happy with where we didn’t get results but I have a limit and take note, I have not collected any money from anybody. It’s not that we cannot do anything but something has to happen, one has to be strong to get those things done with; this case for instance, look at the twist and turns. The allegations and the traps therein, something must be done,” he said.
According to Tanko, his primary interest is to see that the 14 Vehicles are released to us, “we shall then take them to Nagaff before handing them over to the owners. ” This will serve as deterent to those engaging in this kind of business to stop forthwith,”he affirmed.
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