The Federal High Court in Ikoyi Lagos has reportedly granted the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) an injunction which the association had sought in its bid to stop the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi and terminal operators from collecting the controversial Practitioners Operations Fee (POF).
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily exclusively at the end of the court process on Wednesday, National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA; Kayode Farinto said that the court has directed that all parties must maintain status quo ante until the case is determined.
The case which came up at court 10 of the Federal High Court was adjourned till 29th of November 2017.
When the minister in July 2017 issued a directive that POF collection should commence, ANLCA had vowed not to abide by the directive, describing it as illegal, since there is already a subsisting case in court, baring such payment.
The minister had directed that the money should be collected by terminal operators onbehalf of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and for onward sharing amongst her five registered associations.
But ANLCA had dragged all the associations to court as well as the transport ministry and the CRFFN in an effort to stop the POF collection.
Speaking with our correspondent on the outcome of the court proceeding on Wednesday, Farinto said that
"ANLCA actually went for another prayers and that is an injunction restraining the minister of transportation from collection of POF"
"Recently, Amaechi gave terminal operators a directive for them to start collection of the money, so we went to court with the prayers to stop it and the court obliged us"
"The court has said that pending when the case would be decided, everybody should maintain status quo ante"
"The next adjournment is November 29th 2017. The case was heard at federal high court 10" he said
According to him, those in attendance at the hearing included : President of NAFAC, Mr. CAT Agubama, as well as lawyers of other respondents in the case. He however said that neither NAGAFF nor its lawyers was not in court.
According to Farinto, members of ANLCA were however at the court in their large numbers.
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