Ahead of the August 1st commencement date for the collection of the Practitioners’ Operating Fee (POF) as directed by the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Chief Ernest Elochukwu has said that the Minister is wasting his time in trying to use his weight to bulldoze the collection of the controversial fee despite a subsisting court ruling for the maintenance of the status quo by all parties.
Elochukwu nailed the coffin on the controversial collection, as he declared that ‘POF is fraud’, which he said emerged from the blues with no official foundation.
The respected frontline customs broker and business tycoon said POF was sadly promoted through members’ mental lethargy and indulgence, barefaced fallacy, unethical permissiveness, voodoo imposition and inexplicable industry complacency.
In a no holds bar media chat with this reporter, the petit intellectual guru explained that the matter was never discussed by the Governing Council which was the highest organ of the CRFFN, averring that some ‘smart Alecs’ merely rode on the permissive indulgence of the industry to fly the POF kite, which unfortunately metamorphosed into the ongoing ‘fraudulent distractions and uncanny arm twisting’.
He said, “POF is a fraud. It is a fraud in relation to the CRFFN Act 2007. It is a fraud contrived and promoted by some smart alecs. The Governing Council as the highest organ of the CRFFN is the sole authority and clearing house for all council businesses. It is not the employee, the registrar or any other structure at the CRFFN but the Governing Council that takes decisions and makes the rules.
“The registrar is an employee of at the CRFFN and merely drives the CRFFN administrative vehicle, he has no power to make or unmake decisions taken by the Governing Council. The Governing Council is composed of elected members of the federating associations, and others drawn from the federal ministry of transport and elsewhere.
“It is the Governing Council the HMOT should relate with. In 2O11, the Governing Council made a regulation which was gazetted that in view of the fact that there was a recommendation by a Panel which suggested a Transaction Fee by members as a means of funding. Therefore, a committee of the Governing Council was formed to liaise with registered associations and members. It was in the cause of this dialogue that the associations demanded certain percentage of the proposed Transaction Fee to enable them run their associations. The committee reported back the decisions taken, but the civil servants in the Governing Council objected that such is not allowed in government business.
“I am sure that if the Third Governing Council meeting held in 2O12, perhaps, we would not be where we are today. Strangely, we became aware that the CRFFN Registrar started negotiating with some association members and that is how we woke up one day to hear of POF. That is why I said the POF is fraud. It is pure fraud…there is no place it was discussed at the Governing Council meeting or gazetted”, adding: “It is funny that this federal government which sells a campaign of law and order and says ‘change begins with me’ is trying to set itself above the law, which in this case is the subsisting court ruling on the matter. The POF has outlived two transport ministers and I am sure it will outlive the current minister. We should constitute the Governing Council to achieve a way forward. It is important I reiterate the fact that the CRFFN Registrar is an employee of the Governing Council and therefore, cannot give directives. Whoever is pushing him is doing him a disservice”.
…Culled from The Pinnacle Times.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @reportersinfo and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
