Story by Dili Utomi.
In a renewed bid to try and seek professional harmony amongst freight forwarders and present common fronts that will always iron out issues, the president and members of the executive committee of Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) today paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA).
The president of the association, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite led the team that includes, Comrade Akeem Ayobiojo, the Tin Can Island Port Command chapter chairman, Comrade Jude Ige, the Port Terminal Multi-Services Limited Command chapter chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Hassan, the Apapa Command chapter chairman, Comrade Olorunfunmi Quadri, the Murtala Mohammed Airport Command chapter chairman, the national public relations officer, Comrade Razak Giwa and many others.
They discussed the various areas of common interests that should bring all freight forwarders together as they noted that the division that exists at this moment does not favour freight forwarders, Otunba Ogunojemite said in his interview that “One of the reasons for visiting ANLCA today is historical in nature, to appreciate them for the role that they have played in the industry over the years as this is our very first official visit to them. It is also to let them know that we shall try and fill whatever lacuna there might be in the system, the more, the merrier they say. This is the first step and we hope that we can all move forward in the industry”.
His words” When things fall apart, the centre can not hold and we need to stick together. We were able to discuss a lot of issues that bother the profession and hopefully and subsequently we shall be involving other associations.”
On matters bordering on the Council for the Registeration of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) he said that “it is high time that the registrar reviews the registeration of members and that it should not be permanent, old redundant ones should be de-registered and new vibrant ones should be registered. He also weighed in on the situation at the Airport and said that they support the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria’s efforts towards sanitising the place.
The president of ANLCA on his part said ” it was just a courtesy visit to discuss areas of common interests and also to talk about the case that was instituted against us at the court. We at ANLCA are ready to work with anybody and to even partner with others. Part of our problems as professionals is the targets given to the Customs to raise revenues and this affects freight forwarders down to the consumers and this is an area that we should talk about. There is nothing bad about giving targets to Customs, but it is only wrong when it is not based on facts of reality, every economy is driven by small, medium and large scale industries and these are almost non-existent here in the country”.
“We should give incentives for manufacturers to start manufcaturing things that will boost the economy. Government should come up with policies that should encourage local production. On the face value, this meeting has been successful, but the out come will further solidify that, ANLCA is over 70 years and that is not a joke”.
It is hoped that the words of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi that freight forwarding associations should come together as he admonished them during the award ceremony organised for him by the Maritime Journalists’ last Thursday will be heeded and that practitioners will jettison individual and sectional interests for those of the collectives.
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