…Moves to create platform for all freight forwarding associations
The Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Tincan Island chapter, Prince Olawale Cole has assured all the freight forwarding associations operating at the Tincan Island port of an open and inclusive governance which will bring about a coordinated approach to solving the operational challenges facing their members.
Cole who gave this assurance in a stakeholders’ meeting held at the ANLCA Tincan Island chapter secretariat in Lagos on Thursday, also assured that he would mobilize both the present and past leaders of the freight forwarding associations in the chapter to create a platform where they could come together as a family to brainstorm on ways to tackle common operational challenges facing their members.
While also pledging to release three telephone numbers which would also include his where members could report their operational challenges, he said, “We are going to come up, probably by next week, with committees that will handle each and every operational challenges.
“Why I want to do this is that I want to bring other sister associations – APFFLON, NAGAFF and others into those committees. I want it to be a combined efforts because we are not in competition here, what we need is result. We want to achieve a new Tincan and that is what we need and believe me, by God’s grace, we will get it right.”
Continuing, he said, “We have sister associations here, and I want to use this opportunity also to tell our sister associations that we are going to form a very big family and we are going to work as one big family.
“All our members have been suffering in one way or the other because we didn’t have a proper organization. Now, with all the past leaders of the whole associations, and the present leaders of the associations, the present executive of the associations, and the past executive of the associations, we are going to come together, form a platform that the customs and other stakeholders in the industry will know that this is a new dawn in Tincan.”
Describing Tincan as a winner, the Chairman further underscored the importance of the stakeholders saying, “We cannot achieve more without everybody’s contribution.”
Appreciating those who contributed towards the refurbishment of the chapter secretariat which before now was under lock and key, Cole stated, “Even after election, they still contributed to this huge project and you shouldn’t be surprised because it’s a job that we prepared ourselves for. It’s a vision that we have had for so many years and believe me, somebody just have to take that pain to start it. And I believe that with all the past leaders and their experiences, we are going to get it right.
“Believe me, even if they don’t give you Coordinator or they don’t give you ID card, this secretariat is free and open for you and unless you don’t come, the moment you step into this secretariat, all your problems are solved by the grace of the almighty God.”
Speaking on collapsing the different factions that had existed in the chapter before now and the need for everyone to close rank and work together for the good of the members of the association, he said, “We need everybody to believe now, from this moment that all of us are one and we are all going to work together.
“The job is very broad such that one person cannot do it all. We need everybody’s input, we need bunch of intellectuals sitting down here, we need people with vision sitting down here to contribute to this project so that at the end of the day, we will all come out successful.
“And by the grace of the almighty God, Tincan has gotten a new government. Everything is in the hands of stakeholders. There’s nothing like I know how to do it. As you see me, in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, I have been consulting with all the past leaders, I have been brainstorming with all the past leaders. Whatever you see that is happening today, is a joint effort.
“It’s not about Wale Cole because there’s no other faction in Tincan again, we are under one umbrella. I want us all to take each other as brother and sister, that’s the only way we can achieve this.”
Photo: Prince Olawale Cole, ANLCA Chairman, Tincan Island chapter.
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