Dr. Rafiu Ladipo is the pioneer President of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents and current Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents. In this interview with Joshua Yousouph, he bares it all on issues concerning the group he now presides over as board chairman. He also touches on the relationship between the CRFFN and the registered associations
We know you as a foremost freight forwarder and one of the founding fathers of freight forwarding in Nigeria. How can you assess the maritime industry so far in the third quarter of the year?
Quite frankly, it has not been rosy because of the various policies put in place by the government. The practitioners of this trade (freight forwarding) are doing their best, but they are being handicapped somehow by the various government policies that are affecting the business. In those days, in the past, the government would normally sit down with the practitioners of the trade to fashion out how best to improve the economy through the maritime industry. Whether we like it or not, the government generates a lot of revenue from the maritime sector. And it is a commitment of the government to also do something that is not just by collecting taxes, but by putting in place a conducive policy that will make the people of this country happy. A lot of people don’t know how much we realize from the maritime industry. From the maritime industry alone, the government generates trillions of dollars through shipping programmes, such as those who bring in goods from abroad and there are also royalties being paid by these ship owners. Apart from that, when goods land in the port, the government also generates revenue. Of course, nowadays, the port is being concessioned to various companies. But no matter what those companies generate, there is always a return to the government. The customs make so much money through duty payments and export charges. All these monies are being generated for the government. And if you look at those that do the trade of freight forwarding, you will discover that many companies are employers of labour. Some companies range from 20 to 40 to 100 to thousands of employees. There are various companies. This is an industry that cannot be ignored. When the goods come in, the haulage companies are also involved, which are also employers of labour, to make money. So, the maritime sector cannot be ignored or overlooked, because of the various ways of generating funds for the government.
Can you say Nigeria is doing well as a maritime nation?
Well, we are not doing so badly, but I still believe that we can improve, to project the maritime industry in Nigeria to represent African trade. So, I will provide a solution, or a situation, where those facilities that are supposed to be used in the various ports will be modern day facilities. Our waterways should be dredged clean enough, and positions created for these goods to come in, and when goods come in or taken out of the ports by the various importers, returning the containers to the ports, and for those containers to move out, outrightly, to their countries of origin. That is one thing that is taking so much space in the port, because if empty containers fill the old space that we have in the various ports, we will have less space to be able to bring in more containerized goods. I’m aware of the fact that the ports are being used by some bad people to bring in drugs and goods like guns that are not supposed to be coming through the ports.
Can you walk us through your experience at the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents and why you moved to the National Council of Managing Directors and Licensed Customs Agents?
First and foremost, I became the first President of ANLCA, and our purpose then was for the managing directors of the various companies practicing this trade to be members of ANLCA, and I was there for like five years as its president. At that time, the government would not do anything without consulting us, and we would give advice to the government on what we think should be done, and most times we were all happy and succeeding in that area. But there was this coup, a palace coup, that took me out of office, which was the beginning of the many dissenting voices you heard in ANLCA and some other groups. But for me, I take life so simply. Whatever happens to me, it’s God’s wish, and when that coup was done, it was a palace coup. I wasn’t happy, but I took my time because I also have what we call the spirit of sportsmanship in my blood, and when you have sports in your blood, you take the result of whatever happens, whether you win, you draw, or you lose, but life has to continue. Immediately after that coup, they started enrolling all manner of people into ANLCA. Like I said, our plan was to have Managing Directors of various companies to be on board for easy possibility of taking decisions. When they started enrolling all manner of people, clerks, treasurers, even some drivers, contractors, I said it was not our plan and that wasn’t our focus, we decided to move on and came up with what we now know as the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents. I was also its first president, and Lucky Amiwero was there as the Public Relations Officer.
We have factions in the National Council. There is Mr Lucky Amiwero’s faction and the other factions. Which one do you belong to. m
At a point in time, I moved to sports because I find joy in sports. I moved to sports, and Lucky became its President. But Lucky has transformed himself to what he now calls as a life president of the council. That is never happening in any clime. You cannot be a life president of an association. When you have served, you give room to other people to come and contribute their own quota into such an association. Looking back, 1996 till now is over 27 years. Somebody has been there for over 27 years, and calling himself life president. From my exposure and little knowledge, I believe that should not happen. I called Lucky. I asked Lucky if he still wanted to continue to serve as president and he said, yes. I told him to let us have an election. If you want to continue, I will talk to them. There is going to be an election because elections are done every four years. But in the last 27 years, Lucky has been calling himself life president. Has he done any election? No. So which means that the association is for him, and for him only. Everybody that is with him may not see it that way. I see it as a way of becoming a dictator. And for every step in life, you must be able to democratize, decentralize, and make people feel that you are a good leader. That is the problem in the association now. But for me, having spoken to Lucky and having been the first president, and the Chairman Board of Trustees, I will not accept that.
So, in this group, we have had elections. Of course I can’t be President anymore. But as Chairman Board of Trustees, I’m still there. So we do our election to bring in the new president and other officials every four years. Anybody that is not willing to tag along with that isn’t supposed to be with us. That is why we still have this problem. Within that period, Lucky has taken the Board and its members to court several times and Lucky has been defeated four or five times. Why don’t you sit down and be a father, watch what they do, correct them if they are making mistakes, and suggest to them any good innovation that can bring all the growth of the institution. That’s my problem with Lucky and that is what everybody is complaining about.
What plans have been on ground as regards reconciling this?
As for reconciliation, we’re not against reconciliation. We have called Lucky many and several times, but he’s not willing. He sees it as his property. And nobody can own an association and say this is your own property for life. Is he not going to die? What of when he dies? Will he continue to be the president? No, I think he is wrong. But as a father, I’m always ready for any meaningful and genuine reconciliation of any group.
ANLCA recently had their Board of Trustees election. How do you feel?
I say big congratulations to them and I hope they will believe in democracy. I hope they will believe in coming together to forge ahead. I’m proud to have been the first national president. I still send a word of advice and we still talk. Several years of acrimonies and fighting cannot help an association to grow. So, they should embrace peace.
Can you say that peace has finally returned to ANLCA?
I want to believe so. They’ve just had their election some weeks ago. We pray for them that peace should finally return. And peace can actually finally return, if they recognize the fact that everybody should be carried along. At a point in time, a group of people will be the executives. But let them not sit tight and believe they will be there forever. I pray for peace to finally return to ANLCA.
The Council for the regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is the regulatory body for freight forwarders but it seems the Lucky Amiwero’s faction does not recognize CRFFN. What is your take on this?
The CRFFN, as it is called, is there to regulate the various companies practicing this trade. We are part of it. As of the last call, there were five registered, recognized associations by the CRFFN. Lucky said he is not part of it. Yes, Lucky is not part of it. But even those that are part of it, CRFFN should look at the composition of that body again. In a situation where only one, two, three registered associations are members of the Council’s board is wrong. All the various associations must be recognized and be made members of the CRFFN’s board. But leaving out one or two associations will only spell something of doom for growth in CRFFN. I hope they will address that. I have spoken to them several times about it. When you talk about elections into board members of CRFFN and you leave two of these registered companies out of the board, what do you think will happen? They are already running a divided house. And those on the Board will only look at their companies and their associations. They won’t look at the other two. When decisions have been taken, so many times they are not carried along. So, it is wrong. CRFFN must do something to address that situation.
The CRFFN governing council has been dissolved by the government. What do you think can be done to salvage the situation?
It’s better. It’s better that it’s dissolved. When the new composition is going to take place, all the five registered recognized associations must be represented on the board. That is the only way you can have peace. That is the only way you can make progress. That is the only way you can have growth. So, it’s a good thing that it has been dissolved. I’m not even aware. Sometimes, I just see things being done in their ways. When I advise and they don’t listen, I sit and watch.
Some of CRFFN governing council members have kicked against the dissolution, they said they were elected and have not completed their tenure so the government is not expected to dissolve them.
If they are claiming that, they may be wrong. If the government knows that there is something wrong and the government is correcting that, are we going to wait for you to continue to do what is wrong? So, I’m not supporting that claim. They have been there for many years now and they are claiming that their tenure has not expired. Is it the expiration of the tenure that comes first, or the right composition of the board? When things are wrong, the government takes a decisive measure to correct it. For me, it’s good.
