The lingering face-off between the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and leaders of some freight forwarding associations yesterday took a new dimension as the Nigerian Shippers Council charged the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) to display leadership qualities and ensure that it rally other freight forwarders to resolve the crisis.
The lingering face-off between the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and leaders of some freight forwarding associations yesterday took a new dimension as the Nigerian Shippers Council charged the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) to display leadership qualities and ensure that it rally other freight forwarders to resolve the crisis.
This call was made yesterday by the Acting Executive Secretary of the council, Barrister Hassan Bello when the President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu led members of the association on a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the council in Apapa, Lagos.
The Acting Secretary charged the association to take up leadership responsibilities in ensuring that the disagreements among freight forwarding practitioners over CRFFN transaction fee collection is resolved amicably in order to set the council back on the right track and to achieve its objectives.
The Shippers Council boss stated unequivocally that "I challenge ANLCA to show its leadership role in the council so that the reasons why it was set up for training and retraining, for positioning of our freight forwarding practice and aligning it with global best practices is realized”
“I think you have a role to play in that organization so we call on you to work hand in hand with the council and other freight forwarding organizations so that the dream of the Nigerian shipper’s council is realized”
“I am aware that the reason why the Act was set up was for us to align our practice with international best practices, paperless transactions, training and retraining freight forwarders, we don’t want this profession to be invaded by quacks, we need a people who can stand to negotiate with international service providers and for that we have seen the growth of ANLCA, we are very proud of you” he said.
Responding to the call, the ANLCA President while fielding questions from pressmen explained that the association is already in discussion with other sister freight forwarding associations and trying to resolve the face-off.
“We been having some discussions, especially with other sister associations, we have also been having meetings; everyone feels concern that the council have to perform its role”
“ANLCA has never been against the council performing its role; ANLCA has been fighting against certain policies of the council which is inimical to the interest of our members, most especially when our members who are custom brokers are targeted as the only revenue generating sector among the many sectors that makes up the council” Shittu said.
Prince Shittu however expressed optimisms that the matter will soon be resolved and that a roundtable meeting will soon be called so as to resolve issues.
“I am very sure that soon there will be a roundtable meeting so that we can cross the T’s and dot the I’s, when we know that the interest of our members are protected then ANLCA will fall in”
Speaking earlier, he lamented on the recurring arbitrary charges in the industry by shipping companies and terminal operators and called on the federal government to make the shippers council the commercial regulator of the port so as to checkmate the excesses of the service providers.
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