Frontline freight forwarder and national president, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Lucky Amiwero has cautioned against turning the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to an agency of the federal government which is tied to the apron strings of the federal ministry of transport.
Mr Amiwero who is currently locked in a legal battle against the Council and the ministry of transport over last year’s elections which gave the chairmanship of the Council to Hon. Tony Nwabunike argued that the concept of a Council for freight forwarders and the law which established it is very clear about what it should be.
He urged government to retrace its steps in the working of the CRFFN, saying that what the ministry of transport is expected to do is to give direction on the take-off and not to subsume the Council under it.
“The council is not under the ministry of transport, the transport minister can give directions, but it does not mean that it is under the ministry of transport”.
According to him, the CRFFN can not function effectively fir as long as it operates under the ministry of transport. He argued that those who are in charge of the Council do not understand it.
He also told Shipping Position Weekly that the blame for the recent withdrawal of services by licensed customs agents should be laid at the door step of both the Nigerian Ports Authourity and the Nigerian Shippers Council.
According to him, if the two agencies had been proactive and responsive enough in matters concerning high charges by concessionaires and shipping companies, the action would have been averted.
He disclosed that although the agents had written series of letters to the two agencies and several meetings have been held yet, no action was taken, even as he concluded that the terminal operators behave as if they are stronger than even the minister of transport.
(See full interview on pages 6 and 7)
(See full interview on pages 6 and 7)
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