The International Freight Forwarders’ Association (IFFA) has dissociated itself from the 21 day notice of withdrawal of service from the ports issued to the Federal Government by the leadership of the National Association of Government approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).
A statement issued in Lagos by the National President of the association, Dr. Sam Onyemelukwe while frowning at the development however directed members of the association to disregard the ultimatum issued by their sister associations and continue to go about their professional jobs diligently with patriotism and commitment.
Onyemelukwe posited that although IFFA shared similar professional ideologies and common concern with any other association or group in the freight forwarding sector of maritime and shipping sector, but it should not welcome any attempt to frustrate the present efforts of the Federal Government to diversify Nigeria’s monolithic and already distressed economy by improving activities in sectors like maritime and shipping.
According to him,” Maritime, which freight forwarding is a major department is the highest non-oil revenue generator to the Federal Government of Nigeria with a target of about N1.1 trillion in 2017 alone. It has been projected that the sector can yield over N7 trillion annually to the Nigerian economy. Therefore, in these times of vigorous and radical efforts to revamp the economy, all hands must be on deck to ensure that this Government succeeds.
“IFFA believes that well laid out practical plans to reduce high cost of cargo clearance, corruption and other bottlenecks to enhance operations in maritime and shipping will lead to facilitation of trade for increased revenue to the Federal Government of Nigeria. In this vein, we must align with the Government as partners in progress through availing of necessary advice, information and constant, productive engagement.
“Committed to achieving its objective of creating conducive and seamless business operations to boost the economy of Nigeria, the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) chaired by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo approved a 60-day national action plan and expressed readiness to push through short term targets and reforms majorly targeted at the port sector. This action plan is ongoing and to this end, the Federal Government should majorly rely on the freight forwarding community to pull through the immediate term measures, as well as the long term plans eventually.
“IFFA sees any plan to shut down the ports as an attempt to ambush the Government and frustrate the current economic revamping efforts of this administration. That the port and overall maritime sector are of immense importance to the economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria need not be over emphasized. It is because the sector is of economic significance that it was clearly highlighted among the areas that PEBEC will focus on within the stipulated short period not only to deliver tangible changes for SMEs but also help improve Nigeria’s entire business environment.
“Addressing the focal point that is ‘ease of doing business,’ Prof. Osinbajo was quoted as saying: “we are trying to improve the business environment in three broad respects; the entry and exit of goods; entry and exit of persons into Nigeria, and then general Government transparency – transparency and efficiency in Government Agencies and Parastatals. All these aspects concern the ports and IFFA is ready to lend support to the Government to succeed.
“Government has also, in February, 2017, through the Ministry of Budget & National Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria released the Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017 – 2020. It is to improve port operations in Nigeria that under the broad objectives of the plan, seaport operations and maritime transportation are among the areas prioritized for development and improvement action. This is because of the perceived poor performance of the ports in Nigeria even after many radical reforms.
“With the huge economic activities in Nigeria revolving around international trade, the spatial advantage of Nigeria at the trigger of Africa and the high population of 182.2 million people, IFFA expects Nigeria to be a major hub for shipping operations in Africa. We are positive that this is achievable and how to go about it is to dialogue, to synergize, to offer advice to Government, to support the Government and not by strike, withdrawal of services of our members or shutting down the ports.
“In this period of recession, have we paused and pondered for a moment the value of revenue that will be lost by Nigeria daily if the ports are shut down? The attempt to shut down the ports at this critical economic situation in Nigeria can only be equated with economic sabotage by militants in the Niger Delta; it will compound the socio-political and economic pressures of the Federal Government caused by insurgency, militancy, as well as other crimes and IFFA will not be part of it”.
He however pointed out that IFFA was not of the view that all was well in port operations and overall maritime and shipping in Nigeria adding that,” we are not stating that IFFA is happy or impressed with the existing state of affairs in the industry. In the contrary, we are concerned that the ports in Nigeria are too expensive, which has made them less attractive and competitive”.
The IFFA boss observed that it was obvious that there were avoidable problems in the system but to address them stakeholders must adopt modern civil approach based on dialogue and collaboration among all stakeholders including freight forwarders, government and its MDAs adding the world and especially the maritime and shipping sector were dynamic and stakeholders must also be dynamic to evolve brilliant processes to solve the problems of the sector.
“We must move away from the old, primordial tendencies of militancy evident in issuing ultimatum, withdrawal of services, closing down of the ports, strike, violent protests and their likes. Problems are better solved through continuous engagement and interfacing among stakeholders by effective dialogue to articulate plans and measures that will engender progress. IFFA is certain that all avenues of peaceful, non-coercive resolution have not been exploited to begin to apply militancy.
“Let us reiterate that IFFA operates with international standard procedures in line with global best practices and professional ethical standards and codes. Our members are so trained and will not indulge in actions that will cause breach of the peace in the ports or any department of maritime and shipping. It is obvious that enforcement of directives such as ‘no work’ directive can escalate and become violent. Miscreants and hoodlums can also take advantage of the situation and wreck havoc on the ports. The whole scenario will be inimical to Nigeria’s image in the international business of shipping.
“IFFA hence enjoins all our members in all the ports in Nigeria to disregard any directive on strike or industrial action, withdrawal of service or protest in the ports. IFFA members should diligently face their professional assignments for their clients and maintain utmost professionalism and excellence in the discharge of their functions.
“In the interim, IFFA has put machinery in motion to start an intervention that will offer panacea to the problems facing the sector presently. Our Research and Planning Unit (RPU) has commenced study into these areas, to carryout broad-based identification and isolation of the operational problems, analyzing them to offer solutions. In line with this intervention, we have also opened an e-mail, an online complaints polling portal in the IFFA website – complaint@iffa.org.ng to collate stakeholders’ complaints to enable us research into them and find solutions to these complaints.
“IFFA hence calls on all sister associations and bodies in the freight forwarding and overall maritime and shipping sector of the economy to eschew violence and avoidable confrontations to embrace peace and constructive engagements, in this way greater productivity and industrial growth will be achieved in the ports and overall maritime and shipping sector”, Onyemelukwe counseled.
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