Freight Monitor

ANLCA breathes again!—–as peace returns to crisis-ridden association

CRFFN emerges as hero of peace accord

The eyewitness reporter

After five years of bitterness, cut-throat rivalry, hatred and political warfare that have turned the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA (ANLCA) into a walking ghost, peace has finally returned to the oldest freight forwarding group in Nigeria.

It wasn’t a peace that was gotten on a platter of gold.

The road to the peace accord was littered with uncertainty, suspicion and sabotage.

For five grueling years that the association has been in the wilderness of endless crisis, all efforts to achieve the elusive peace have always hit the rock mounted by recalcitrant gladiators that were factionalized into two rival groups.

But on Wednesday, March 15th, 2023, the Council for the Regulation of Freight forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN) pulled the chestnut out of the fire when it reconciled the two warring factions that held the association, hostage.

At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, the CRFFN poured water on the five years of raging fire that fizzled out.

Like the biblical story of how Jesus Christ rebuked the raging storm into quietness, the Chairman of the CRFFN, Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar, rebuked the raging storm in the ANLCA into calmness.

The road to the final peace in ANLCA was long, winding and tortuous after the initial efforts of the police failed.

As the regulatory body of the freight forwarding industry, the CRFFN led by its Chairman mandated the warring parties to convene an AGM where the disputed issues were to be discussed and settled.

That effort too was nearly thwarted as there was opposition to the peace arrangement.

But it took the cast iron resolve and unbending vow of Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar to end the crisis that enable the AGM to hold amidst the threat of boycott from other warring party.

On the day of the AGM, it also took the guts, gritty determination, hardline posture, appeals, stick and carrot approach and subtle threat employed by the CRFFN to pull off this rare feat.

Alhaji Tsanni held a grueling five hours meeting with the leadership of the two factions prior to the AGM proper, an action which led to the late commencement of the AGM.

At the pre-AGM parley with the warring parties, concessions, sacrifices and commitments were made to achieve peace.

Among them were the voluntary stepping down of Prince Taiye Oyeniyi, as the Secretary of one of the factional BOT, and the merger of the two contending and factional BOT groups, Taiwo Afolabi- led group and Taiwo Mustapha -led group with each group donating four members to the new BOT.

Prince Taiye Oyeniyi was compensated with the position of Paron of the association.

Satisfied that the two sides have reached a truce that would usher in the much sought-after peace, the AGM was later convened four hours behind schedule.

However, the CRFFN chairman and the leadership of the two factional groups, who must have parted themselves on the back for a job well done, didn’t bargain for the resistance and antagonism that greeted the peace proposal when presented to the general meeting.

Hell was let loose over the proposed merger of the two warring BOTs.

Members kicked, yelled and resorted to a shouting match to show their displeasure over the merger.

Some even threatened to challenge the peace proposal in court while some proposed total scrapping of the two quarrelsome BOT factional groups to give peace a chance.

The angry members called the legality and constitutionality of the contrived BOT into question, saying such contrived arrangement is alien to the supreme constitution of ANLCA.

The CRFFN chairman and Kayode Farinto, the Acting National President of ANLCA, begged the angry members to give peace a chance by allowing the peace proposal but this seemed to incensed them into a more riotous mood.

Sensing that his efforts and sleepless night to achieve peace in ANLCA were about to be frustrated by the unruly attitude of the angry AGM participants who described him as an outsider who have no right to force the merger arrangement down their throat, Alhaji Tsanni Abubakar braced himself and confronted the situation with toughness and unbending posture of a military General.

With a tough mien, the CRFFN chairman mounted the chair he was seated on to talk to the rowdy and angry AGM participants.

“I am here as a regulator who is like a father to all the associations in the industry.

“If we have to die here, we die here to ensure there is peace.

“You are not doing me any favour if you agree to settle.

“If you don’t agree to settle, I don’t care.

“My concern is how the crisis is affecting me because anytime I go to the customs, they ask me what the problem is with ANLCA and why CRFFN cannot settle it.

“Let me tell you, you are the one assisting them.

“If you think you can operate without a CRFFN certificate, it is a lie.

“I am ready to die here.

“We have to tell ourselves the truth. Nobody can operate without registration with CRFFN.

“So it is better to settle the crisis now”

The chairman of the CRFFN, who was at that point livid with anger, threatened to withdraw the CRFFN certificate issued to ANLCA and shut down its national secretary if they fail to close ranks.

However, Farinto had to intervene for the umpteenth time, begging and appealing to the agitated members.

“Please, please, I beg you in the name of God, let us allow peace.

“The industry is suffering and members of ANLCA are suffering due to this lingering crisis. The government agencies, especially the Customs, are exploiting the crisis to extort and exploit us”

“So it is in our own interest to allow peace to reign “

Farinto said that the contending issue of BOT has become cancerous and a surgical operation is needed.

He admonished his members to allow the contrived BOT to be inaugurated.

“But what we should be concerned about is how to confine the members of the BOT to their supervisory role as enshrined in ANLCA supreme constitution”.

The subtle threat of the CRFFN Chairman and the appeal by the Acting President of ANLCA eventually calmed the frayed nerves of the members and thereafter, the eight-member BOT made up of equal numbers from each factional group, was inaugurated.

The new BOT members include Alhaji Taiwo Mustapha, Dayo Azeez, Sir Ernest Elochukwu, Sir Dennis Okafor, Prince Ozo Chukwura, Alhaji Shamsideen Awopeju, Kingsley Offor and Mr. Eniola Igbaruola.

In the same breath, a seven-member Association Electoral Committee (ASECO) headed by Mr Alloy Anukwuru, was also inaugurated.

The committee was charged to screen and conduct elections into the executive positions(NECOM) in the association at a date to be agreed on at the next follow-up peace meeting in the next two weeks.

Likewise, Prince Taiye Oyeniyi was inaugurated as the new Patron of the association.

These developments thus signaled a new era and the end of five years of an acrimonious atmosphere in ANLCA.

The peace deal, therefore, dealt a death knell to the controversial interim NECOM.

A new era of peace and tranquility that blows a fresh breath of life to an association that was hitherto held hostage and gasping for breath after five years of suffocation.

Customs

Opposition mounts against proposed hike in licensing renewal fee by Customs as agents kick

–the timing is wrong — Amiwero

–the rich will now hijack the clearing job– Musa

— the multinationals will have a field day — Mukaila

– lot of agents will be out of job-Otunba Komolafe

– the economy will collapse — Barrister Ada Akpunonu

Funso OLOJO

There seems to an overwhelming unanimity in the resistance of the Customs Licensed Clearing Agents against the proposed hike in the licensing renewal fee by the Nigeria Customs Service.

On Thursday, August 7th, 2025, the management of the NCS muted the idea of a hike in licensing renewal fee when it was sensitizing the executives of the major freight forwarding groups in Abuja.

The agency told the freight forwarders that commencing from January 1st, 2026, the current renewal fee of N215, 000( 20k for the Headquarters and N15k processing fee for the commands) would be increased as the existing fee was no longer realistic in the face of the economic realities in the country.

However, a cross – section of the practicing customs brokers who spoke to our reporter on the proposed review were unsparing in their total rejection and condemnation of the proposal.

They were unanimous in their belief that the move by the customs authority was not only ill- timed, ill- conceived but it’s capable of sending many practitioners out of the business.

The customs brokers lamented the timing of the proposed hike when, according to them, they are still grappling with the challenges of multiple payment of charges and fees atvtge port.

They pointed out the reintroduction of the 4 percent fee on FOB on imported cargo, the high exchange rate and other taxes which they said are hurting the business.

They further claimed that the proposed hike will give a leeway to the money bags and the foreign multi- nationals to hijack the freight forwarding industry.

Dr Segun Musa, the Deputy National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) accused Customs of gradually turning the issue of licensing into cash and carry for the highest bidders.

He believed that obtaining customs license should be purely knowledge- based and not what should be procured with money.

“To me, I don’t think it’s a welcome development and I’m not subscribing to that” when asked of his reaction to the proposed hike.

“The industry should be more of knowledge-driven and not cash-driven.

I didn’t subscribe to it and definitely I won’t buy into it.

” The reality is not whether the current renewal fee is sustainable or

not sustainable. Ordinarily, we don’t suppose as practitioners, we’re not supposed to pay for license.

“We’re supposed to be registered and licensed based on knowledge.

“It should not be a commercialized thing. A customs licensing is not a commercialized venture, it is not a private venture for profit making.

“They generate revenue for government. But ordinarily, we’re supposed to be registered and licensed based on knowledge to facilitate trade.

” If we allow the financial bullion operators to hijack the industry, then they mess up the whole industry.

“It should be knowledge-driven. It should not be the highest bidder industry.

” It should be integrity platform. It should be knowledge platform, not money

back platform.

“You cannot push people that are trying to establish and advance their business out of the business. You don’t do that.

It’s not fair.

“I’m just waiting for the associations that have met with the CG to come out with there own resolutions or their own brief before we can start engaging media and telling the media our own personal opinion.

” But definitely, it will not fly.

Alhaji Abdulaziz Mukaila, the former National Secretary Generals of the Association of Nigerian Customs Licensed Agents(ANLCA, was not less critical of the licensing renewal proposal.

” Where do they want us to get the money from? Do they want us to start to tax importers? the ANLCA Chieftain asked rhetorically.

“Are they giving us any subvention?

Whereas, Customs is taking salary.

They are still taking budget allowance.

” Now they are taking 4 percent cent on FOB on cargo.

” The Customs is giving way to the fraudsters they claimed they wanted to weed out with this hike because the fraudsters will get the license at any amount because they know what they want to do with the license.

*Customs will only succeed in chasing out honest people out of the business, thus paving way to the dubious ones to take over.

“What are they trying to

achieve?

” To shut the door and bring in foreign multinationals?

“Afterall, the customs now give licenses to the Chinese, Indians and Lebanese.

“With this new hike, these foreigners will now gain full control of the industry” the former ANLCA scribe alleged.

Mr Lucky Eyis Amiwero, the factional President of National Council of Managing Directors of Customs Licensed Agents (NCMDLCA) believed that the proposed hike in licensing fee was ill- time at a time the Customs has just introduced 4 percent Free-on-Board (FOB) on imported cargo.

“I don’t think it is the right time for

them to renew, to increase license fees.

“It is the wrong time because the country is actually faced with a lot of challenges.

“The challenges are, one,exchange rates. A lot of people have lost their job. Even people cannot renew most of their licenses.

“When you look at the license renewal, it is based on the performance.

Many people might renew and after the whole thing,they don’t have any jobs to

do.

“So,I don’t think it is the right time for them because as the customs was renewing, is trying to bring

in 4% of FOB and so many charges.

“And this is going to hit the agents, hit the importers, hit the

manufacturers,hit the economy.

“When you increase, many of them cannot even move out from their homes.

The port is not a friendly place. A lot of things that are happening at the port are not coordinated.

“More than 70% of people have left the port industry.

“So,customs should have reasons and seek opinion of people before they start to increase.

“That money they are increasing is for their own .

“When the last time they reviewed the whole thing, I was in the forefront.

“The last time it was reviewed from N10,000 to N200,000” Amiwero declared.

Both Barrister Ada Akpunonu and Otunba Olasupo Komolafe of the ANLCA shared similar sentiments on the issue.

Akpunonu seemed to be carefree about the issue because, according to her, the challenges which agents are facing at the port are overwhelming and frustrating.

She lamented that while the agents were battling with the charges of terminal operators, Customs came with the payment of 4 percent Free-on-Board (FOB) levy and now the hike in licensing fee renewal.

” I don’t want to talk about this issue.

If they like, let them increase, when the economy collapses , we shall all be affected”

” Let the Customs increase, those who have money will renew and those who don’t have will be thrown out of job and the rate of unemployment will increase” Akpunonu said in a tired tone.

Otunba Komolafe described the proposed hike as an additional burden on agents who are already groaning in pains over multiple charges at the port.

” Where do they want us to get money? Do they think we pick money on the ground? ,the ANLCA Chieftain asked rhetorically.

He said some agents may not be able to even utilize their license for a whole years due to lack of job.

He claimed that the hike will throw many out of the job.

Freight Monitor

Amiwero mocks ANLCA, three other freight forwarding groups over plan not to pay POF.

— describes them as gathering of strange bedfellows

Funso OLOJO

The last is yet to be been heard of the intrigues, acrimony and bellyaching that greeted the court judgement which invalidated the payment of the controversial Practitioners Operating Fees (POF)by freight forwarders.

It could be recalled that the factional President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licenced Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Eyis Amiwero, secured a court victory against the payment of the POF by Customs brokers when on May 26th, 2025, Justice D.E Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Lagos delivered a landmark judgment in a suit No Suit No. FHC/CS/765/2018 between NCMDLCA vs. 1. MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, 2. NPA and 3. CRFFN in which he declared the collection of the controversial POF illegal.

However, on Friday, June 18th, 2025, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents(ANLCA) led four out of the five freight forwarding groups registered with the Council for the Regulation of freight forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to announce their resolve to enforce the judgment of the Lagos High Court by stopping the payment of POF.

The other associations which allegedly connived with ANLCA to rebel against the CRFFN included the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) and a factional National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA).

But Amiwero, who achieved the hard- won court victory over CRFFN, mocked the gathering of the four other associations, describing them as “strange bedfellows”.

”Just look at the gathering of these strange bedfellows, ganging up together to reap where they did not sow.

“A case of ‘my enemy, who is the enemy of my enemy, is now my friend.’

“When they slept on their rights and were busy fighting over the sharing formula of the POF, they never saw CRFFN action as illegal.

“Where were they when Lucky Amiwero single-handedly pursued the case and secured the judgment?

“Some of them even bashed Amiwero for challenging CRFFN, but now, have gathered to enjoy relief from another man’s struggle.

” Pushed by the frustration of not getting any share as CRFFN said that a Consultant fraudulently swallowed everything, they’ve now latched onto Amiwero’s court judgment, in revenge of those that outsmarted them in the Council’s politics and booties sharing” Amiwero declared in a derisive note.

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), which boycotted the meeting of the “strange bedfellows”, also dismissed the group as ” selfish and untrustworthy”

“The above ugly remarks by Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero concerning these individuals clearly portray them as untrustworthy and confused persons.

” They can best be described as a bunch of dribblers and directionless folks.

” We have waited to hear their reaction to these highly uncomplimentary remarks but discovered they lacked the wisdom to decode the weighty nature and the implications of Mr. Lucky’s comments, which completely smeared and eroded their credibility and made them interlopers in the industry” NAGAFF High Command declared.

NAGAFF, which reacted through its Board of Trustees (BOT)to the plan of the other registered freight forwarders over their plan to stop payment of the POF, has called in the CRFFN to deregister these rebellious groups while the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, should use legal instrument to ensure that the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC) withdraw their Certificate of Registration.

NAGAFF claimed these punitive measures became necessary because the group has committed economic sabotage against the Federal government by denying the government it’s revenue through their refusal to pay the POF.

“The Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E Adegboyega Oyetola, is being encouraged to deregister forthwith the four ailing associations and move on to recommend to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to withdraw their certificates of registration based on threats to revenue due to government of the federation”, stated NAGAFF.

The association however believed that government should allow Amiwero and his group to exit the CRFFN platform in order to give peace a chance so that the CRFFN could collect the POF unhindered.

“The authorities should allow the factional President of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero’s group and their accomplices to go as they wish and allow the CRFFN to face its mandate as provided by law.

“We are convinced that the CRFFN will stabilize and be more focused if these elements are granted their request to exit.

“We suspect that this group is being sponsored by the enemies of the state who are hell-bent on sabotaging the good efforts of the government.

“One of the worst crimes anyone can commit against the state is to deny the government its statutory revenue

” The antecedents of these groups in question had already portrayed them as non-progressive minds whose activities in the ports need to be watched” NAGAFF stated.

Entertainment

Ozo Chukwurah hosts Olojede, new Oriade Council Chairman, to lavish reception over his electorial victory

Funso OLOJO

Prince Ozo Chukwurah, a frontline Customs broker and former Vice – Chairman of Board of Trustees(BOT) of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), organized a lavish reception for the newly elected Chairman of Oriade Local Council Development Area(LCDA), Honourable Azeez Olojede,to celebrate his recent local government electoral victory.

Olojede, a protege of Prince Chukwurah, came to pay homage to his mentor and financier at his palatial Hotel, Systems Place Hotels, Satellite town Lagos.

Guests at the event, which included the political entourage of the new chairman, his personal assistants, some council officials, party faithfuls and staff of the Systems Place Hotels, were treated to choice light refreshments and drinks.

Olojede said he decided to embark on the thank you visit to Prince Chukwurah for his support and huge contributions to the Satellite community.

He declared that , Prince Chukwurah, a contemporary of his father, has been a pillar of inspiration within the community where he had imparted lives of the people through his philanthropic gestures and other corporate social projects.

The new chairman used the occasion to unveil some of his plans for the LCDA

“I am a very familiar person with my environment having lived 40 out of my 48 years on earth within this Local Council Development Area” Honorable Olojede began.

“This area is housing both the riverine and upland areas and mainly divided into Satellite town and Ijegun Egba which are the heartlands of the LCDA.

“I have the desire to make life better for the indigenes and residence of the LCDA”.

“We are having meetings with the traditional rulers in order to outline the projects that we plan to execute and of course we have to bring in government interests to meet with the public interests-schools, police posts, health centre and others that will impact positively on the lives of residents of this area”.

He pledged to ensure that those who engage in agriculture within the islands in the LCDA are encouraged to help boost food security in inline with the desire of the state government.

“We have to project the objectives of the state government so that the people will be able to key into the various projects to improve their lives and the environment”. the chairman added.

Olojede also encouraged other residents of the area to emulate the generous gesture of chief Ozo Chukwura who funded the construction work on the road where they had the activity on the day.

“We want to connect the various communities on the two islands to the mainlands and all the listed government interests shall be provided towards achieving all our plans. We are speaking with the people”. he enthused.

Honourable Olojede added that aside the construction works going on, there are plans for training programmes and other educational policies aimed at enlightening the populace.

In his short remark, Prince Chukwurah pledged to fuel the heavy duty equipment that would be used for road construction in the area with the sum of 2 million naira.

The pledge drew a roar of approval from the appreciative supporters of the chairman who burst into party songs and praises of the donor.