Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF); Dr Boniface Aniebonam has warned that any member of the association who is not ready to comply with the recent directive on dress code should be ready to leave the association.
He said the dress code which the association introduced recently was meant to distinguish its members from other port users, even as he acknowledged that the port is a restricted area and that whoever is found there must be properly identified, in line with the International Ships and Port Security (ISPS) Code.
He told Shipping Position Daily that what NAGAFF is trying to do is to bring integrity to bear on freight forwarding and to distinguish members of the association.
He stated that NAGAFF is determined to give its members clear identity in all the nation’s entry points and that “all we are trying to do is to ensure that our members are not packed with the crowd. There is need for rules of engagement to be followed and so when you see a NAGAFF member in the port, you know that he is there for business’’.
‘’If you see lawyers, you know them, they wear their clothes to distinguish them, and so freight forwarding is a noble profession and I am sure you know that we are very strategic to the economy of the country’’.
When asked why the association is making the dress a pre-condition in the coming election, Dr Aniebonam lashed out that anyone who is not willing to comply is free to seek membership of another association.
‘’The beauty of democracy is the freedom to choose , it is not compulsory for you to be a member of NAGAFF, there are four other registered freight forwarding associations, whoever is not willing to comply can go elsewhere’’, he declared.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that last week, the NAGAFF in a statement, personally signed by its founder; Dr Boniface Aniebonam said wearing of prescribed uniform for its members is a criteria for franchise in its coming chapter elections.
Under the new dispensation, the dress code approved for all members is Black Suit or Safari Suit for men; women are expected to put on Black Skirt Suit.
For field Operations, the men are to wear Black Trouser, Black Shoe, 2 Patch Pocket, Light Brown- Coloured Short Sleeve Shirt.
The dress code which takes effect from 26th of February 2018 is also a pre-condition to effectively participate in the elections. To underscore this, the statement insisted that any member of the association who fails to comply or who is not adorned in dress combination as prescribed will not be allowed to vote or be voted for during the coming election, which is also slated for March, 2018.
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