…Says ANLCA had been polarised
The Concerned Accredited Freight Forwarding Associations (CAFFA) has taken a swipe on the National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu accusing him of “talking from the both sides of his mouth in dealing with the matters connected to the collection of the Practitioners’ Operating Fees of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Speaking in a press release issued by the association and signed by Dr. Eugene Nweke of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders NAGAFF), Chief Festus Ejiofor of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Chukwuka Agubamah of the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) and Dr. Frank Ukor of the Association of the Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), CAFFA noted that following undue pressure, prince Shittu may have been boxed to a corner by the cabals in the ANLCA National Executive Council (NEC).
Apparently reacting to Prince Shittu’s outing at the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN) and the Maritime Correspondents’ Organization of Nigeria (MARCON) Roundtables recently, the group observed that those who may have been watching development in ANLCA would agree with it that all was not well with the leadership of ANLCA adding that right now, there may be two camps in existence in the association, namely; the Henry Njoku led faction as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and that of Prince Olayiwola Shittu as the elected President.
According to the group,” The stakeholders meeting in Abuja with the Transport Ministry showed clearly that all is not well with ANLCA. In that meeting which was meant for the Chairmen Boards, Secretaries and Presidents of the five associations to deliberate on the matters of Practitioners’ Operating Fees (POF) collection, ANLCA was represented by the Board Chairman with National Publicity Secretary, Kayode Farinto and Ernest Elochukwu whereas the other four associations were properly represented by their principal officers as demanded by the Ministry.
“It is alleged that Prince Shittu and the Secretary- General of ANLCA, Dr. Oparah Emmanuel were conspicuously absent in that high level meeting borne out of seeming protest. It is alleged that Prince Shittu and Dr. Oparah who have been part of the various negotiations with regard to the signing into effect the collection of the operating fees were very angry that their efforts were being thwarted by some cabals in ANLCA.
“The Henry Njoku led faction told the meeting that Prince Shittu did not have the mandate of the association to negotiate the interest of the association. He informed the meeting that what is on ground now is that a committee under his watch and others has been mandated to discuss the matter with the Ministry and/or CRFFN Management. The implication is that all the efforts of Prince Shittu and Dr. E. Oparah have been thrown to the dustbin.
The volte face by Prince Shittu is now a surprise to the stakeholders and on-lookers as to how “the mighty are falling”. Presently, it is apparent that a vote of no confidence has been tactfully passed on Prince Shittu who is apparently struggling for relevance. The MARAN/MARCON round table have as at now thrown up issues of discourse because whether anybody likes it or not, Prince Shittu is still the President of ANLCA until otherwise stated officially”.
It pointed out that at the various for a of round table discussions with the press, it was a fact that Prince Shittu was quoted as having said that ANLCA under his watch was pushing for the enactment of clearing and forwarding indigenization bill and that if collecting the POF would enable them to put aside something that would be used to pursue the bill, they shall be appreciative.
“In other words the interest of ANLCA is not about the sustenance of the CRFFN but an avenue to pick money in a large volume that will help it pursue the indigenization bill. Whereas ANLCA continues with the propaganda that Licensed Customs are their members, they have refused to tell the public the number of Licenses owned by their members.
“One is at cross road with the utterances of prince Shittu who before now was part of the people in the first council that pursued the collection of practicing fees. He was part of the council that appointed S.W Global as the concessionaire for the collection. It is sad that the same Shittu is saying that the fees are illegal. It is most unfortunate and regrettable”, the group said.
It continued by saying that it found some of the submissions made by Prince Shittu faulty and standing on a shifting sand adding that likening the delay by the Minister of Transport to consent to the collection of the POF to the passage of the 46 bills in ten minutes by the last Senate was uncharitable and smirks of mischief and blackmail of a Federal Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
CAFFA said,” we wish to remind Prince Shittu that by convention, the moment a “consent” is given by a supervising authority, the implementation or enforcement of the policy becomes instantaneous while the passage of bills by the legislature still requires the assent of the executive to become enforceable. In other words, the time“consent” is given is immaterial the moment “consent” is given, its enforcement is at the discretion of the implementing body.
“And again for Prince Shittu to have submitted that the collection of the POF is illegal and that this prompted the ‘immediate past Minister to refuse to give the go-ahead until the last minute’ is imputing that the government engaged in illegalities. This is because by the virtue of Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the delegated powers of Mr. President is what the Minister of Transport gave effect to by approving the collection of the POF o behalf of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Rather that obstructing the due discharge of government duties as being affected by ANLCA by threatening that they would do anything to frustrate the collection, we advised them o go to court and challenge the alleged “illegality”. This is what the respect for the law and due process demands”.
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