Following the heat generated by the Practitioners’ Operating Fees (POF) instituted to be collected from the freight forwarders by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in all the entry and exit points in the country, the Minister of Transport has finally waded into the matter as it has invited the freight forwarders for a meeting at Abuja on Wednesday this week.
It will be recalled that the CRFFN on the 4th of May, 2015 released a public notice announcing its readiness to begin collection of the POF on the 11th May, 2015 in all the entry and exit points in Nigeria, an act which did not go down well with the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) as it arose from its National Executive Meeting (NEC) ordering all its Corporate members not to make any payment to CRFFN in that regards.
ANLCA also set up a committee to interface with the CRFFN on the matter so as to advise it on the best course of action thus leading to the formation of a body called Concern accredited Freight Forwarders Association (CAFFA) made up of the remaining four CRFFN accredited freight forwarding associations namely; the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) and the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) which condemned the action of ANLCA in its entirety accusing it of being selfish.
CAFFA further called for the immediate stop to fees being collected by ANLCA at Seme border as well as at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport advising the various terminal operators to remit all the money collected on behalf of ANLCA to the CRFFN alleging that ANLCA wanted to collect and pocket the money all alone.
Since then, it has been one petition after the other as well as one media campaign after the other as each was trying to undo the other in a bid to justify its decision at any point in time before the authority (s) concerned.
However, in a letter titled,” Invitation for stakeholders meeting on issues affecting smooth operation of freight forwarding in Nigeria”, dated 1st June, 2015 with reference no. T. 4604/S.2/T2, addressed to all the Presidents of the five registered freight forwarding associations and signed by the Deputy Director (ICD) in the Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr. P.O Ekawu on behalf of the Honourable Minister of Transport invited them to a meeting at Abuja this Wednesday with the aim of resolving the impasse.
The Presidents were invited alongside their Chairman, Board of Trustees and Secretary to attend the meeting.
The letter read, “Following the series of complaints from the various associations of Freight Forwarding and the report from the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to the Ministry, and hanig carefully looked at the report and the complaints, a decision was reached to convene an all stakeholders meeting to holistically look at the complaints a with to finding a lasting to the issues at stake”.
“Consequently, you are invited to come along with your chairman, Board of Trustees and Secretary to attend the aforementioned meeting, scheduled as follows; Date: 10th June, 2015. Venue: Federal Ministry of Transport Conference Room, 8th floor, Abuja. Time: 2 pm”.
“Please ensure prompt attendance and accept the warm regards of the Honourable Minister”, the letter stated.
