Story by Dili Utomi.
Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria-APFFLON has applauded the Customs Consultative Council – CCC for kicking off a process to bring lasting peace in the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents- ANLCA
Establishing a truce in a meeting summoned by the CCC last week Wednesday at the prompting of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, the Council directed the Acting National President of the Association and his executive members to vacate their offices to make way for fresh elections.
According to a reliable source, the Federal Government through the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, had indicated intentions to proscribe the Association that has been engulfed in protracted internal crises for the past five years.
The seven man Consultative Committee chaired by the Former Chairman of CRFFN, Aare Hakeem Olanrewaju, on Wednesday, 20th of July,2023, held a meeting with some ANLCA Chieftains and key members of the two factions at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja where a truce was brokered to make way for lasting peace.
Commending the efforts of the Customs Consultative Council (CCC), the National President of Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria-APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, expressed optimism that the CCC would be the last committee that would be set up in a long quest for peace in ANLCA.
According to Ogunojemite, “The time to blame any chieftain of ANLCA for the crises is over as it is high time members of the Association came together to forge a common front.” He advised Chieftains of the Association not to fold their hands and watch the impasse deepen irredeemably.
The CCC, in its communique, observed that disputes amongst members were hastily taken to court without exhausting internal mechanisms for resolving disputes while members that lose in elections do not accept defeat in good fate. The CCC also pointed out that many of the past executive members invested their personal resources instead of addressing them and allowing justice to prevail.
APFFLON President seconded the Customs Consultative Council (CCC) in criticising the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria -CRFFN for allowing the imbroglio to linger for a long time.
According to the communique, “the CRFFN which is the regulatory body for freight forwarders has not been able to give strong and adequate professional leadership directions.”
Otunba Frank Ogunojemite stated that the inability of CRFFN to fully resolve the crises in ANLCA and obvious quality leadership deficiency have exposed the Council’s myriad of lapses and went further and urged the Ministry of Transportation to get a capable Registrar to pilot the affairs of the Council.
Ogunojemite urged the CCC to scrutinize all Form C 07 & Form C 02 including licences of members contesting for elective offices in ANLCA, and that of those who would be voting in the elections to ensure free and fair contest. The APFFLON National President asked the CRFFN to consult the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to ascertain the validity of the registration of the company names of both old and new members of all the Associations.
Finally, Ogunojemite asked the CRFFN to obey its act diligently and not limit the number of associations to be accredited as it is in breach of the Freedom of Association. According to him, “the CRFFN should stop propagating the so called 6,6,1,1,1 in the industry and to play its role as a rallying point for all freight forwarders. Government should as well reduce the numbers of politicians on CRFFN Governing Board for efficient performance and more professional inputs.
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