Oluyinka Onigbinde
The Chairman, Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN); Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni has warned warring factions within the embattled Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to abide by the resolutions of the Council or be ready to be confronted by the Governing Council.
Tsanni, in a telephone chat with our correspondent recently, while reacting to the criticism that greeted the resolutions of the Council regarding the protracted ANLCA crises, affirmed that the CRFFN has taken its decision and will stand by the resolutions. This is even as he stated that he is unperturbed by whatever anybody or group may have said regarding the council’s resolutions.
The chairman, governing council stated that the crises in ANLCA has lingered for too long and will not be watching it to linger further. He explained that in every dispute, there will always be a winner and a loser, this is even as urged those against the decision of the council to obey or be ready to face the law.
He said: “Normally if you go to court, some people will accept the judgement, while some will reject it, and in every dispute, someone will always win and it is always like that. The Council has taken its decision and we stand by it.
“I don’t even care, whatever anybody is saying, so whatever anybody is saying, all I know is that on March 2nd, we will have the AGM”.
“We have been on this for many months, so we have to come to the end of it. Nobody is above the law, anybody who thinks he can confront the government, we are ready to face such a person,” he said.
In a similar vein, the CRFFN Acting Registrar, Mrs. Chinyere Uromta in a press statement issued last week, also urged members of ANLCA to resolve all lingering leadership issues at the association’s upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM). This is even as she encouraged aggrieved members not to engage in actions that will truncate the efforts being made to convene an AGM to resolve all issues in the association.
She warned members of the association against seeking court injunction to stop the AGM adding that doing so would be a clear violation of the CRFFN Act.
However, reacting to the plea by the Registrar of the council to aggrieved members of the association not to truncate the AGM, by seeking court injunctions, a freight forwarder and former member of CRFFN Consultative Forum, Mr. Chidi Anthony Opara stated that the aggrieved members have the right to seek redress in court.
He argued that it is the right of every citizen to seek redress in court after exploring all apparatuses provided for settlement of disputes without headway.
According to him, “the Nigeria constitution provides for the right of citizens to seek redress in court, if they are aggrieved.
“This right is fundamental and inalienable, meaning that it cannot be abrogated or abridged by any acts of Parliament, executive orders, rules, regulations, etc.
“If, however any acts of Parliament, executive orders, rules, regulations, etc, make provisions for the abrogation or abridgement of this fundamental and inalienable right, such provisions would be inconsistent with the relevant provision of the constitution and such provisions would be null and void, to the extent of that inconsistency.
“Flowing from the above, citizens, even in regulated sectors/sub sectors can exercise this fundamental and inalienable right if they are aggrieved, in spite of any legislations, executive orders, rules, regulations, etc.(inferior laws) to the contrary, but such citizens should endeavour to explore fully any apparatuses provided for settlement of disputes (if such apparatuses are not compromised)”, he argued.
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