Dr Aniebonam: This is an epoch- making day
Prince Shittu: There should be no crack again
Even though at no point did the leadership of the two associations; Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the national Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) openly admit hostilities between them, it is an open secret that there have been no love lost since the later branched out of the former about 11 years ago.
Whereas, since 1999 when NAGAFF broke away, ANLCA has had five national presidents, NAGAFF has had three, with each succeeding presidents of both associations barely tolerating themselves.
All that ended last week when the founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam took the initiative by leading the topmost leadership of his association on a historic visit to the national secretariat of ANLCA in Lagos.
Giving an insight into what necessitated the visit, the NAGAFF founder described it as “part of our bridge- building process and a mark determination to ensure that the freight forwarding industry does not lag behind in view of recent development in the global economy.”
Underscoring what he called “cat and mouse game” that has existed between the two associations, Dr Aniebonam stated that those who had been gaining from the cold war would wish that there was no reconciliation.
Acknowledging that the peace move was predicated on the belief in the leadership qualities of Prince Olayiwola Shittu as the national president, Dr Aniebonam who was accompanied by NAGAFF’S board of trustees chairman, Mr Usman Sanusi and the national president, Mr Eugene Nweke and other members of the national executive of NAGAFF recalled that his association fully supported the candidacy of Shittu during ANLCA elections.
Earlier while welcoming the visitors, and apparently impressed by the visit, the ANLCA president who was also supported by national and chapter leaders of his association in turn harped on the need for practitioners to embrace peace.
Dressed in a symbolic black attire, the ANLCA president said he chose to wear black to symbolise the mourning of division, separation and disunity that have for long put the two associations apart.
He acknowledged that division is human, but appealed that there should be no crack within the freight forwarding family again. “What caused our division are things of human nature, but what I can assure is that whatever agreement that we have today, you can be rest assured that ANLCA led by me will stand by it”, the ANLCA president stressed.
He described the recognition which NAGAFF now enjoys as the product of perseverance and doggedness on the part of the founder of the association. It took 10 years for people to start accepting NAGAFF, when people hear NAGFF those days, they tummy will turn saying why this Aniebonam again, but consistency and perseverance has brought NAGAFF today as an association that can not be done away with.
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