The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) yesterday urged the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) to reconstitute the Governing Board of the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding of Nigeria (CRFFN).
The South East Zonal Secretary of ANLCA, Dr Mayor Nwachukwu, said this at a Stakeholders' Consultative Meeting organised by the NSC for Shippers and Trade Groups in Aba, Abia.
Nwachukwu said the Board should be inaugurated before collecting the practising fees.
The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) yesterday urged the Nigerian Shippers' Council (NSC) to reconstitute the Governing Board of the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding of Nigeria (CRFFN).
The South East Zonal Secretary of ANLCA, Dr Mayor Nwachukwu, said this at a Stakeholders' Consultative Meeting organised by the NSC for Shippers and Trade Groups in Aba, Abia.
Nwachukwu said the Board should be inaugurated before collecting the practising fees.
He told the gathering that: “We have heard that we should start paying practising fees but I want to say here that we cannot allow the collection of practising fees by CRFFN unless there is a board in place to properly oversee our activities.
“The NSC should constitute the Board of the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to properly regulate the activities of members.
“The Shippers' Council should step up regulatory functions to reduce port charges and should also apply legal instruments to companies fleecing Nigerian importers and exporters,'' he said.
Mr Hart Sunday, the Operations Director, Michelin Tyres Services Ltd., said shipping and other sectors in the country would prosper if government agencies weighed the implication of policies before making them.
Sunday also said the NSC should tell government agencies causing delays at the ports to refrain from such acts.
Mr Ernest Onyeuku, Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said the state government had taken note of issues raised at the meeting.
Onyeukwu, who was represented by Chief Sam Nwagbara, Director of Commerce, Aba/Osisioma, said that government would work to ensure improvement in the industry.
The Director, Consumer Affairs, NSC, Ms Azuka Ogo, said the Stakeholders' Consultative Meeting was aimed at creating a general understanding of the services of the council.
She said the council was working hard to ensure a reduction in the cost of doing business at the ports and to promote efficiency.
Ogo said the council was poised to create an effective regulatory system for all port activities by stamping out impunity, presumptous behaviour and ignorance of procedures, rules and regulations.
“The chaotic state of our ports is very disturbing and if allowed to continue, would make our ports unfriendly and unattractive compared to other ports in the sub-region.
“The ultimate goal of the Council is to sanitise the Nigerian ports. We must therefore be prepared to look to the future and cooperate to collectively remedy the port industry and ensure maximal contributions to our nation's economy.
“Together we can achieve much. This meeting therefore aims at creating a platform for stakeholders to contribute positively toward improving shipping services in Nigerian ports,'' she said.
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