Freight Monitor

Freight forwarders flay compromised posture of government agencies in containment of unfair trade practices of shipping companies

Ibrahim Tanko

Eyewitness reporter

Freight Forwarders, who ply their trade at the Lagos ports, have accused the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN), Nigerian Shippers’Council and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) of a sell-out in the struggle to have fair trade practices with the shipping companies.

It would be recalled that the amalgam of the freight forwarders from the National Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has engaged the predominantly foreign shipping companies over operational issues of extortion, indiscriminate and arbitrary charges.

In the course of the trade dispute, the angry freight forwarders had twice issued notices of service withdrawal if their grievances were not met.

However, in order to stave off service disruption, the CRFFN, in collaboration with the Shippers Council and NPA, had called for a truce by calling for a peace meeting between the two warring parties.

Unfortunately, the peace meeting was deadlocked.

However, the freight forwarders have accused the three government agencies of high level of insincerity and deceit over their mediatory roles in the conflict.

Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, the National Coordinator of the 100 percent compliance team of NAGAFF, who is one of the leaders of the protesting Customs brokers, lamented that the three agencies have abandoned the freight forwarders in their struggle with the shipping companies.

While ventilating the feelings of the aggrieved freight forwarders, Ibrahim accused the three agencies of grandstanding and playing the ostrich.

“We trusted them ( the three agencies) before and that was why we listened to them when they called for a truce.

“But event in recent times and the body language of the officials of these agencies have demonstrated their insincerity and deceit.

“We do not trust them anymore as they have abandoned us in the hours of our struggle and betrayed the trust we had in them” Alhaji Tanko lamented.

He alleged that the agencies may have been compromised for them to look the other way while the foreign agents are milking the Nigerian freight forwarders through unbridled extortions and arbitrary charges.

Tanko further disclosed that the attitude of the three regulatory agencies, which he said are supposed to protect the interests of customs brokers, has further emboldened the shipping companies in their exploitative practices which he lamented, are being perpetrated with undisguised impunity.

“Maybe the three government agencies are enjoying the problems we are going through. If not, they should do something before something gives” he warned.

Tanko declared that the level of disenchantment among the freight forwarders is so high that if the leadership should ask them to give vent to their anger, a lot of harm could be unleashed on port businesses.

“That is why the leadership of the freight forwarders is still managing the situation by not allowing them to disrupt port operations through strike action.

“We know the maritime business is very critical to the economic well being of the country, therefore we are still showing restraint despite the compromised posture of those whose statutory duties are to protect us.

“We are still pursuing the path of peace through continuous dialogue not because we are afraid to make good our threat to go on strike but because of the responsible leadership which does not wish to hurt the economy and the people we lead” Tanko claimed.

He however warned that if the relevant agencies of government fail to call the recalcitrant shipping companies to order in their punitive operational practices, the leadership of the freight forwarders may be left with no other option than to call the restive freight forwarders out on strike.

“It is not over until it is over. The struggle continues but we may not be able to contain the agitations of the oppressed freight forwarders much longer if the impunity of the shipping companies is not quickly checked” the NAGAFF chieftain declared in an ominous tone

Related Topics:featured Freight forwarders tackle government agencies

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Freight Monitor

ANLCA postpones NECOM election to July 5th as ASECO releases fresh guidelines

Nze Aloysius Emeka Igwe, ASECO Chairman, ANLCA

Following the death of the erstwhile chairman of the Association Electoral Commission(ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents( ANLCA), Mr. Alloy Anukwuru, who died in April 2023, the new Chairman of the electoral body has released a fresh guideline for the much-anticipated election.

In the new electoral timetable released by the new chairman of the eight-man electoral committee, Nze Aloysius Emeka Igwe, whose appointment by the board of the association sequel to the death of Anokwuru, was announced about a week ago, the ANLCA NECOM election will now hold on July 5th, 2023.

This is about less than a two-month extension from the original date of May 25th, 2023 as earlier announced by the electoral body when it was headed by late Anukwuru.

According to the new electoral guideline signed by the new Chairman of ASECO, Emeka Igwe and Alhaji Mustapha Yakubu, the ASECO Secretary, there will be registration of voters at the Western Zone(National Headquarters), Eastern Zone(Onne) and Northern Zone(Abuja) from May 17th -June 2nd, 2023.

Also, the sales of nomination form/letter of intent closes on May 26th, 2023 while the final submission of the original nomination form is slated for between May 26th- 30th, 2023.

Electoral petitions by aggrieved members or participants will be entertained from June 2nd-9th, 2023 while the publication of the aspirants/first provision voters list will be between June 5th -9th, 2023.

The verification and the screening of original documents of voters in the Western Zone hold between June 12th-15th, 2023 while the verification and screening of licenses of voters in the Eastern Zone takes place June 19th -21st, 2023 and that of the Northern Zone takes place between June 22rd-23rd, 2023.

The screening of the aspirants is slated for July 3rd, 2023 while the publication of the final voters and candidate list will also be done on July 3rd, 2023.

The proper election and declaration of results by the returning officer holds on July 5th, 2023, thus ushering in the new executives that will pilot the affairs of the battle-weary ANLCA for a single term of five years.

Freight Monitor

Aftermath of Anokwuru’s death: ANLCA appoints Alloy Igwe as new ASECO chairman

The eyewitness reporter

A few weeks after the death of Alloy Anokwuru, the erstwhile Chairman of the Associations Electoral Committee (ASECO) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)who died in April, the association has appointed Alloy Chukwuemeka Igwe as a new chairman of ASECO.

Unveiling the new chairman at the National Secretariat of the association, Kayode Farinto, the Acting National President of ANLCA, charged the new chairman to leave above board.

“Don’t collect bribes in your new assignment. You may be blackmailed but you should remain steadfast” he charged the new ASECO chairman.

Farinto disclosed that the appointment of the new electoral body was made and ratified at a combined meeting of the association’s NECOM and BOT, last week Saturday.

“There shouldn’t be a vacuum and that was the reason this appointment had to be made.

While eulogizing the former ASECO chairman, Farinto said the association was equally confident in the ability of the new chairman who has an impeccable pedigree in the association.

He said there was a new dawn in ANLCA as never again will unlicensed members be allowed to lord it over the licensed members.

“If the election is successful, it will herald a rebirth of the association and its lost glory will return” Farinto declared.

He, therefore, charged the new chairman and the electoral committee to sanitize the electoral process in the association for the betterment of the group.

He also admonished ANLCA members to remain united and resolute in the current efforts to rebuild the association.

The board also appointed Mr Sanusi Adebayo Suleiman from the MMA chapter as the eighth member of ASECO.

Mr Aloy Igwe and Suleiman were later sworn in by the Acting National President of ANLCA.

The new chairman promised to deliver on his mandate and expressed gratitude to the association for his appointment.

He however said the old timetable of the NECOM election will have to be amended to reflect the new realities on the ground.

The timetable for the NECOM election drawn by the ASECO before Aloy Anokwuru died shows that the election is supposed to hold May, 25th 2023.

It still remains to be seen if the little disruption caused by the death of the former Chairman will affect the date or not.

Freight Monitor

ANLCA holds NECOM elections May 25th as ASECO releases guidelines

The eyewitness reporter

The much-anticipated elections into the National Executive Council of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) holds on May 25th, 2023.

According to the election timetable released by the Association Electoral Commission(ASECO), a copy of which was sighted by our reporter, the notice of election has been published on April 11, 2023, while the registrations of voters will be conducted by ASECO at the ANLCA national secretariat from April 12th to 28th, 2023.

The guideline, dated April 11th, 2023, also revealed that the electoral committee will entertain letters of intent from interested contestants from April 12th- April 28th, 2023.

Also, nomination forms with elections guidelines will be on sale from April 12th- April 19th, 2023 while the final submission of the original nomination forms and other requirements by aspirants will be on the 27th of April 2023.

Furthermore, the screening of aspirants will take place from May 2nd-May 9th, 2023 while election petitions will be entertained May 10th -18th, 2023.

Also, a provisional list of voters and candidates will be published on May 19th, 2023 while there will be a joint ASECO/BOT/NECOM meeting on May 22nd, 2023 to consider and resolve election petitions.

The final voters and candidates list will be published on May 23rd, 2023.

May 25th, 2023, will be the D-day when the elections will hold and the results declared by the returning officer.

Following the consummation of the peace pact between the two warring parties in ANLCA which ushered in an era of peace in the association that was on the boil for five years, a seven-member electoral body called ASECO, headed by Mr. Alloy Anukwuru, was inaugurated to conduct elections into the association’s NECOM.