The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has warned that a parallel body to the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is in the offing if the members of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) succeed at the National Assembly in their quest for the establishment of the Chartered Institute of Customs Brokers.
A statement issued in Lagos on Friday by the Head of Special Duties, NAGAFF Headquarters, Rev. Emmanuel Agubanze recalled that Hon. Tony Iju Nwabunike during his acceptance speech as the new President of ANLCA was reported as having an agenda to pursue the establishment of Chartered Institute of Customs Brokers in Nigeria.
According to Agubanze, what was not clear to NAGAFF was if they (ANLCA) realize that CRFFN was regulating and controlling the practice of Freight Forwarding profession in Nigeria adding that licensed customs agent was inclusive under the control and regulation of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
He said,” It is apparent that the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is set to pursue the establishment of Chartered Institute of Customs Brokers in Nigeria. Is this an indication that ANLCA may not participate in the coming election into the Board of CRFFN Council? Is it that the new Executive of ANLCA under the leadership of Hon. Tony Iju may not be interested in the forthcoming election going by their desire to pursue the establishment of Chartered Institute of Customs Brokers?
“It is on record that licensed customs agents are secondary practitioners in the cargo logistics chain and customs facilitation. It is also on record that ANLCA is duly registered with CRFFN with registration number 001 instead of 002. However as the events unfold with their pending case in court against CRFFN on matters of Ports Operation Fees collection, it is our belief that the CRFFN management team and Transportation Ministry would be circumspect and decisive in dealing with the situation. It is also the belief of NAGAFF that our sister Association should act in honour and earn respect by not participating in the Council election if they continue to act in breach and nurse the ambition of setting up a parallel regulatory body. It is a fact that from the beginning ANLCA and its members with their collaborators never wanted CRFFN to come on stream.
“It therefore stands to reason that if they continue to meddle in CRFFN regulatory and control powers to even participate in the forthcoming election, it means that they cannot say something and stand by it. We therefore sincerely hope that the National Assembly shall give direction accordingly at the appropriate time”.
Agubanze therefore pointed out that it was in the opinion of NAGAFF that the new leadership of ANLCA should act wise and become focused within the law in the administration of their organization to the glory of God and its members adding, “We also want to advise that ANLCA should know that CRFFN is an agency of Government according to a subsisting court ruling.
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