The withdrawal of services from the nation’s seaports, airports and land borders earlier scheduled to begin on Monday, the 15th day of May, 2017 by the freight forwarding associations and the amalgamated trucking associations may not go on as planned.
This is because a compromised has been reached among the leadership of the freight forwarding associations, the amalgamated Trucking Associations and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council at a meeting held Sunday night in Lagos.
It will be recalled that the freight forwarders led by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) under the aegis of the ANLCA-NAGAFF Initiative and the Amalgamated Trucking Associations last Friday issued a directive to their members asking them to withdraw their services and stay away from the seaports, airports and land borders as from Monday, 15th May, 2017 until further notice.
The freight forwarders as well as the truckers said the decision to withdraw their services effective Monday was borne out of what they perceived as government’s lack-lustre approach to their demands which arose from what they termed factors militating against the ease of doing business at the ports.
Recalled also that these freight operators whose operation covers the sea, air and land borders entry points into Nigeria had earlier given the government a 21- day notice of withdrawal of service if their grievances, including arbitrary increase in charges, impunity and extortion as well as the deplorable state of ports access roads among others were not addressed quickly.
The ultimatum was extended following perceived move by the government to douse the anxiety of practitioners.
However, at the expiration of the second ultimatum and bowing to pressure from their members across the country who have been spoiling for action, the leadership of the two leading associations in the country has called on their members all over the country to withdraw their services from all the entry points from Monday the 15th of May 2017.
But in a meeting held at the Federal Palace Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos between the hours of 5pm and 8.30pm on Sunday, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barr. Hassan Bello prevailed on the groups to shelve the proposed action.
Although the representatives of the various groups at the meeting could not give in to the request of the Shippers’ Council boss immediately as they promised to get back to their leadership tomorrow for further consultations and report back to him on their decision, Primetime Reporters gathered that from their body language, they seemed to have given in to the demands of the Shippers’ Council boss whom they said they respect so much in the industry and would not want to ignore.
Having demanded that they would want to see work resume at the bad portions of the roads between the Apapa and Tincan ports roads with immediate effect so as to forestall further loss of lives, the meeting resolved that there will be a joint inspection of the failed portions of the roads on Monday, the 15th day of May, 2017 with the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Hadiza Bala Usman joining in the inspection and that a critical stakeholders meeting will be held in Lagos on Thursday this week with the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and other critical stakeholders in attendance.
In attendance at the meeting, Primtime Reporters were reliably informed were representatives of ANLCA, NAGAFF and the amalgamated trucking associations which included the President of the Corporate Fleet owners, Mrs. Folake George, Chief Remi Ogungbemi of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Mr. Pius Ujubuonu and Dr. Kayode Farinto of ANLCA and Chief Increase Uche, the acting National President of NAGAFF among others.
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