Philip Edokpa (Freight Forwarder)
Philip Edokpa (Freight Forwarder)
We are still trying to understand how the CRFFN operates, I am talking about the management and the people who are involved, if they are sincere and they want to do their work with honesty, it will be better for the industry, we are still looking forward to seeing what they intend to do. What we want is for better associations to be in place so as to see to the welfare of the people in the industry, but what we are seeing is new names, new registration and so on, we have not really felt the impact of what they have been doing. What we want is those who are going to be effective and protect the interests of the agents and importers, there are so many problems on ground, especially with the shipping companies in terms of arbitrary charges.
Olorogun Andrew Ibatemha (Member, ANLCA)
All these associations coming up will still have to come back to join the common front after getting their interested portions, they will still want to join the common front just as NAGAFF did, they came back and we have a common front today, whatever name these associations could be having, it is all for the purpose of having power and you know that power corrupts, by the time they chase this power they will realize that it doesn’t pay, then they will take a step backward, they will want to come back to join NAGAFF and ANLCA. Anyway, I don’t think these associations will hinder our own operations, ANLCA is a national and international body and there is nothing you can do in Nigeria that can make ANLCA to collapse because our interest is for the people and the nation.
Olubukola Olukala (Clearing Agent)
I have nothing against these associations but the only thing I will advise them is to listen to the people and not their purse, because most of the people are going in for the positions so as to fill their purses and what they want to derive from the people. The primary objective they should be having is the message they want to pass across, we should know their goals, and then we will know if they are there for us or against us because most of them are going for their personal pockets in order to be free to go into customs office and do their jobs easily and come out, and not thinking about the people that are outside which at first was the main reason for setting up such associations. We agents face a lot from the customs and their arbitrary charges. And coming into the maritime sector, the associations should work hand in hand with the previous associations, at least ANLCA is there, same with NAGAFF and they are not hindering one another from doing their jobs, but they working as a team.
Emeka Enwelu (NCMDLCA)
It is a welcome development that the agents should be under one umbrella; more so, it is our prayer to speak with one voice. I believe if we speak with one voice, I believe most of the members of ANLCA as well as NAGAFF will support the latest development because it is for our own growth, their ideas will be greatly worked upon since they are willingly coming down to register under CRFFN, I believe it will be better. What I expect from these associations is easy clearance of goods because our port is the most complex, if the coming together of the people under an association would make things better for us, what else do we want, we want the best in the port.
Tunji Obagbo (POTEMA)
Registration of associations is not the job of the council, they should leave that one and face the reality of what they are supposed to do, they are the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding and not the council for the regulation of associations, if you go to Benin Republic, if you are not an indigene, you can’t do any freight forwarding job there, CRFFN should know that it was established by an Act and they should follow the trend of what they are asked to do not the inauguration of one association or the other. CRFFN is only trying to befriend these two associations in order to let the sleeping dog lie.
Festus Ukwu (NCMDLCA)
The more the merrier, if one association is accredited, that does not portray the Nigerian image as a good one, Nigeria is made up of 150 million people, we have more than six Nigeria sea ports, so we have associations and most of them are polluted knowing very well that Nigeria is a big country, the accreditation by CRFFN shows that the governing council of the CRFFN is listening to the yearnings of the people and they want to improve the standard in the maritime industry.
Obicee Okonkwo (Publicity Sec. ANLCA)
There is this popular slogan that says ‘the more the merrier’ and if the committee for that accreditation under the CRFFN has screened, verified and certified them okay, there is nothing wrong if they are accredited and groomed to be there, there is nothing wrong about it, the important thing is for everybody to follow the norms and the practice of freight forwarding.
Akin Igbaroola (Freight Forwarder)
The newly- registered associations are welcome on board, if they will work and see that maritime workers, which include some of us that are in the customs, do our job with ease, then they are fully welcome. We have lots of problems in the port which I am very sure that no association can single- handedly solve, if they are coming to solve these problems that have been disturbing us in the port, then they are fully welcome. But the only thing I pray is that they should not be like other associations that were floated and died at the embryo stage, which is at the stage of registration alone, they could not perform and had no zeal to confront the customs because some of the leaders that floated some of the agencies are corrupt.
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