A flurry of condemnation and anger last Friday trailed the volte-face by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) over the controversial Practitioners Operating Fees, when it directed its members not to cooperate with the regulatory agency; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), in the payment of the fees.
A flurry of condemnation and anger last Friday trailed the volte-face by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) over the controversial Practitioners Operating Fees, when it directed its members not to cooperate with the regulatory agency; the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), in the payment of the fees.
From the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), to Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), and to the National Association of Air freight Cargo Consolidators (NAFAC) and the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, it was condemnation galore, as leaders of these associations accused ANLCA of greed and disrespect for the regulator agency; CRFFN.
The CRFFN registrar; Sir Mike Jukwe expressed shock at the development, the associations accused the ANLCA of exhibiting greed.
The ANLCA had at the end of its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last Thursday ordered its National Executive Committee members to stop further discussions with the CRFFN on the fees collection.
Preparatory to the proposed commencement, the CRFFN had published a public notice in some newspapers, and also embarked on visitation to all the airports and seaports as well as freight forwarding zones to sensitize practitioners on the details and modalities for collection.
Our correspondents confirmed that, prior to the approval of the fees by the Minister of Transport, the five registered freight forwarding associations had met severally and agreed and even signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
While directing its members “to disregard any request for the payment of Practitioners Operating Fees”, ANLCA has also constituted an eight-member committee led by its immediate national president; Chief Ernest Elochukwu “to interface with the management of CRFFN with a view to coming up with appropriate recommendations for further engagements”.
Perhaps, in a clear demonstration of why it took the decision to disregard the fees, the association has also empowered it national executives “to discuss, negotiate and take all appropriate steps towards the realization of ANLCA's interest”.
Upon seen the communiqué on Friday, leaders of the various associations expressed shock at what they called the greed of ANLCA.
When contacted for comments, the president of NAGAFF, Chief Eugene Nweke was also shocked. He said, “we belief that the CRFFN is empowered to do what it is doing, if any association pulls out, we will go ahead with the collection. The fees have already being approved and gazetted, it is not a largesse, it’s for the development of the industry and the practitioners”.
Throwing its weight behind the CRFFN, Nweke said, “we are with the CRFFN on this, ANLCA can go ahead and do whatever it wants. The money belongs to freight forwarders and not to any clearing agents group”.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily, National President of Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) Dr. Frank Ukor described the action of ANLCA as very unfortunate, selfish and greedy.
Ukor said that it is now clear that ANLCA feels threatened by the collection of the transaction fees by the CRFFN, and that the association would rather want to collect the money alone.
The five presidents signed an MOU before the Minister approved the fees; ANLCA is one of the associations. It’s an official gazette and no one can stop it.
The practitioners’ fees, according to Dr. Ukor is no longer a matter between associations because the collection of the fees has already been gazetted by the Federal Government, hence it has become a law and ANLCA is now going against government's law.
"It is unfortunate that ANLCA has asked its members not to pay the practitioners fees despite the fact that Shittu has been part of the agreements we reached among the five presidents of the associations"
"ANLCA members are very greedy and very selfish, it is now obvious that they want to keep collecting money alone at all the ports, they don't want any competition.
They feel threatened by the CRFFN, but there must be change”.
Also speaking with Shipping Position Daily, National President of National Council of Managing Director of License Customs Agents (NCMDLCA); Chief Festus Ejiofor said that ANLCA is not bigger than government and it cannot fight the government.
Ejiofor noted that there is a gazette from the government that CRFFN should collect the practitioners’ fees and that ANLCA members must comply.
"In my life, I have never seen one man fighting government and surviving it, among five associations, only one is insisting that they will not pay"
"They are so arrogant because people give them credence that they are the largest association, but with this, we will know if they are the largest or not".
On his part, the president of NAFACC; Mr CAT Agubamah, pitched its tent with the CRFFN. What ANLCA is doing is quite strange. The CRFFN is the regulator, the fees issue has been agreed upin by all the associations, if ANLCA has any issue, we are not aware”.
Shipping Position Daily however confirmed that a meeting between all the parties has been scheduled for this week in Lagos.
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