Passes Vote of confidence on Alhassan Dantata
More reactions have continued to trail the founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam’s threats of withdrawing his association from the nascent group called Maritime Advocacy and Action Group ( MAAG ) as the leaders of Lagos Chamber and Commerce, Industry ( LCCI), the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers and Exporters Coalitions (SNIFFIEC) have all taken a swipe at the association saying that it lack total coordination.
The leaders present however passed vote of confidence on MAAG’s Coordinator Alhassan Dantata for the initiative behind the establishment of the body.
Consequently, the leaders of the four groups out of the total twelve that formed MAAG have urged the founder of NAGAFF Dr. Boniface Aniebonam to allow the president of the association to run its affair.
Revealing the content on the position of MAAG to the federal government’s automotive policy to the media recently,in Lagos, National President of AREFFN , Dr. Frank Ukor debunked claims by Aniebonam that the letters has been sent to the National Assembly.
Ukor disclosed the President of NAGAFF, Chief Eugene Nweke is in charge of research for MAAG’s position on the automobile policy adding that the document has not gone to the House of Representatives.
According to him, the rivalry among freight forwarding associations led to the crisis rocking the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and that no individual or group should frustrate the establishment of MAAG.
He also alleged that Dr. Boniface Aniebonam was bitter because he was not engaged as a consultant to the group.
The AREFFN boss noted that MAAG is the best institution that has evolved in the maritime industry and that no individual or group can thwart the effort of the body comprising twelve critical associations coming together to form a single entity.
“We had MAAG meeting to decide what should be done and we told Eugene Nweke’s committee to draft a letter on MAAG position on the automotive policy of government, which a decision was taken at the meeting by every one of us”
“And maybe Dr. Aniebonam felt bittered to the fact he is expecting to be a consultant or adviser to MAAG and he was not appointed, made him to say what he is saying now”.
Speaking further he added that” at every meeting of MAAG I go back to my members and address them on the outcome of the meeting and it is binding among us so I expect every other association to do same. We are supposed to hear from the president of NAGAFF not the founder”, Ukor added.
In addition, reaction on NAGAFF position on MAAG, President Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi said that MAAG has come to solve the various problems affecting the maritime sector and no individual or group can down play its existence.
Ogungbemi added that members of his associations are in support of the existence of MAAG, which is to address issues bothering the sector.
The National Coordinator, Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition on his part stressed the need for associations to support the vision and mission of MAAG and that with the eventual withdrawal of NAGAFF will not affect the aims and objectives of its establishment.
Osita said Eugene Nweke is the president of NAGAFF and he is the only representative from the association thus Aniebonam is struggling to seek relevance in the maritime industry.
However, Mrs. Juliana Ogboru, Chairman Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) affirmed that the president of Eugene Nweke is the NAGAFF boss and he is the only person MAAG recognizes.
“If they have their policy in NAGAFF Eugene should carry the message to them and if they are not comfortable with it fine for them”
“If anybody is not happy about MAAG’s existence then it is left for such a person, we don’t need an expert in this regard because everyone of us is an expert individually thus I don’t see anything wrong coming together to form a body for the benefit of the country”, she added.
