The Ports Consultative Council (PCC) has called on the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and other stakeholders to be ready to take charge of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Chairman of the Task Force on Port Operations of PCC, Alhaji Abayomi Adigun stated this when he led a four-man team to the national secretariat of ANLCA, last week. The delegation was received by the national president of ANLCA Prince Olayiwola Shittu and some members of the association’s national executive committee
Alhaji Adigun said the PCC, which is made up of several critical stakeholders in the maritime industry, was not comfortable with current state of things at the CRFFN.
He lamented that as stakeholders in the nation’s maritime business, clearing and forwarding agents do not have a central body as other professionals, even as he appealed to ANLCA leaders to soften their stand on the issue of CRFFN.
“We need to come under one umbrella body for our benefit and that of future generation. No matter the position people occupy, we should be ready to soften our stand and cooperate to build a good structure for our generation. It is time we take charge of CRFFN, while the government plays only advisory role. As professionals, we are in a better position to run the affairs of the Council, and this is achievable within a short time if we cooperate,” he stated.
The PCC Task Force boss disclosed that his team has had similar talks with the leadership of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) who expressed its readiness to cooperate in that regard.
Responding, ANLCA president said ANLCA cooperated with CRFFN when it was established in 2007. He lamented that the previous leadership of the Council erroneously felt it was working for the government, and hence was higher than the associations.
According to him, the vision of CRFFN was to bring all stakeholders under one umbrella, but the Council turned around to register associations formed around individuals. He lamented that CRFFN ended up being a catalyst of division rather than unification.
He reminded the team that the aim of CRFFN is to empower and train employees of member organizations and regulate the corporate agents.
The ANLCA boss called on the PCC to look into the activities of CRFFN and compare them with the Act which established it, and pass their findings to the Minister of Transport. He equally appealed to PCC to advice CRFFN on what it is expected to do, adding that if that is not done, the Council will become irrelevant in the system.
The PCC team included its Vice Chairman Mr. A. O. Vincent, Mr.
Bolaji Sunmola and Mr. Bukola Lawal.
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