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The Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria (ASIMPIN) has disowned the outcome of the meeting convened by the founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam to ‘resuscitate’ the Igbo Maritime Forum.
Aniebonam had in a statement released on one of the social media networks, invited the founding members of Igbo Maritime Forum and leaders of thought to a meeting held on the 11th of April, 2022 at the NAGAFF headquarters with the intent to reclaim the Forum which according to him, had been captured by certain individuals and changed the nomenclature to read ASIMPIN.
He said in the statement, “The founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Aniebonam have accepted to help resuscitate Igbo Maritime Forum. It is a fact and on record that the essence of Igbo Maritime Forum is to serve as a common ground for all Igbos in the logistics chain and customs facilitation to meet and discuss practitioners interest, the Igbo traders and Nigeria as a country.
“Regret to note that for the past ten years, it appear that certain individuals may have captured the forum and changed the nomenclature to read ASIMPIN. This development tend to change the whole essence of Igbo Maritime Forum agenda and which does not protect the interest of the Igbos in the maritime transportation and customs facilitation.
“Accordingly, all the founding members of Igbo Maritime Forum and leaders of thought are hereby invited to a crucial meeting to be powered and hosted by the founder of NAGAFF. Date 11th of April, 2022. Venue is NAGAFF conference room, headquarters 2a Maybin Street, Apapa GRA. Time is 2pm.”
Reacting, the Chief of Staff to the President General, ASIMPIN, Chief Lawrence Ubah observed that the meeting was not in order adding that the outcome of the meeting should not be taken seriously by any member of ASIMPIN.
Ubah further disclosed that there was nothing like the Elders’ Council in the constitution of ASIMPIN even as he insisted that there was never a time the President General, His Royal Majesty, Eze Damian Obianigwe had deem it fit to inaugurate such either as a committee or as an existing body or an associate body of ASIMPIN.
“And to worsen the situation, the person that called the meeting, on record, has never been a member of ASIMPIN from inception”, he added.
He explained that the association migrated from the Igbo Maritime Forum to Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria as Igbo Maritime Forum was not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“So, we now have to go for an association that is legal, backed up and has everything right with the government that can stand the test of time. As ASIMPIN, we can now sue and be sued but as IMF which is Igbo Maritime Forum, there’s nothing like that and we cannot continue to exist in error. So, anybody, after migrating from Igbo Maritime to ASIMPIN that is still talking about going back to Igbo Maritime is just like talking about going back to Egypt which is not acceptable”, he stated.
Ubah continued, “And to be honest, we all know the character of the person that is calling this meeting. The proliferation of associations that we have presently in the industry, he is the architect of it and we cannot allow that to happen in the Igbo Maritime.
“What is he calling for? Election! Has he been holding election in the association he founded? Can he give us any record of elections that held there? It has always been appointment upon appointment. In ASIMPIN, we have record of elections we have been holding and continue to hold. We have successions. His Royal Majesty is not the first President of ASIMPIN. Late Eze has been there, he has handed over to Isaiah Aguorah and so on and so forth.
“So, the fact that we have had delays in this present one does not make us to be lawless and we hope and promise and we are telling the members authentically, as the Chief of Staff to the President, that in less than no time, there’s going to be an election and our members should remember that during the service of song held by ASIMPIN in honour of our General Secretary, Chief Dom Obi, that the BOT Chairman, in the person of High Chief Peter Obih announced that immediately after the burial and mourning is over, we are going to have an election.
“The executive has been meeting, the chapters are still up and doing and the President is encouraging them to keep on with the good work, that nobody should be dampened. That these maverick people should not deceive any Igbo man, that nobody should go astray, ASIMPIN is on course.
“And we should all know that ASIMPIN is not like any other association, we are not formed to be going around to be collecting money from the customs, Shippers’ Council. At the same time, we are not formed to start intervening at the gates and at the releasing points for our members. People supposed to know the difference between professional association and this socio-cultural association known as ASIMPIN and I think that is where some people are having misconceptions. And that is why some people don’t look at it critically and if they are not told the truth, they may be led astray”, said.
Ubah who is also the executive Chairman of ASIMPIN, Ijora chapter, however, said, “I have the authority of my principal, the PG of ASIMPIN to extend felicity to all Igbos in the maritime industry and give them his assurance that arrangements are already put in place for proper elections to be conducted into the chapters and the national executive, that nobody should be misled by these people that are not even our properly registered members.”
Photo: Chief Lawrence Ubah, Chief of Staff to President General, ASIMPIN and Chairman, ASIMPIN, Ijora chapter.
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