Fresh insights emerged yesterday about other major decisions that were taken at the reconciliation meeting that was called by the Ministry of Transport for registeted freight forwarding associations and their regulatory agency; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Fresh insights emerged yesterday about other major decisions that were taken at the reconciliation meeting that was called by the Ministry of Transport for registeted freight forwarding associations and their regulatory agency; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
The meeting that was attended by the leadership of the five associations, namely: of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), National Association of Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) and the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) was presided over by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.
Just like was reported yesterday, some of those who were also at the meeting told our correspondent that the ministry was more concerned with ensuring that the powers of the CRFFN were not eroded.
The permanent secretary reportedly told the associations leaders that the CRFFN is not of them, but their regulator.
A source at the meeting hinted that the permanent secretary pointedly warned that nobody can threaten the existence of CRFFN.
The source also hinted that the ministry took a swipe at the posture of ANLCA and reportedly directed the association to submit itself to regulation.
The duo of the Registrar of CRFFN; Sir Mike Jukwe and the President of NAGAFF; Chief Eugene Nweke told Shipping Position Daily that the meeting went well and was successful, thus corroborating what the President of AREFFN;Dr Frank Ukor had told our correspondent shortly after the meeting on Wednesday.
He had told Shipping Position Daily that, there was “.no victor and no vanquished”
Asked to explain what he meant by the phrase, he disclosed that the meeting agreed on the statutory powers of CRFFN as the regulatory agency for freight forwarding in Nigeria, with powers of over its constituents.
But, yesterday, the Registrar who refused to give details of what transpired hinted that, “almost all the issues have been resolved, we have made good progress”.
The same indication was given by the President of NAGAFF, who said almost all the grey areas have been resolved.
But, when contacted, the chairman of Board of Trustees of ANLCA; Chief Henry Njoku told our correspondent that there are many issues that are yet to be cleared.
“We as ANLCA told them that we are not comfortable with the way they are in a hurry to collect money, if the money is going into the coffers of the Federal Government, then what do they need task force for in this area of e-payment”, he stated.
He also added that ANLCA is not comfortable with obvious eagerness on the part of the four associations to collect money.
He acknowledged that all that the four associations have as defence is that ANLCA President (Prince Olayiwola Shittu) has been part of all the discussions leading to the agreement and that he was part of the agreement that was signed.
“We told them ANLCA is a very big organisation, its too big for one person to just sign and its binding on all of us, I told them that our NEC meeting had looked at it and set up a committee to examine it, until then, we can do anything”, he added.
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