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Freight Monitor

Tony Nwabunike’s presidency is the worst thing that has ever happened to ANLCA—Ada Akpunonu

Barrister Ada Akpunonu

— how he became ANLCA President unprepared, to share POF proceeds.

The Eyewitness exclusive
Barrister Ada Akpunonu, a Chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), has latched out to Tony Iju Nwabunike, the diaspora President of the association, describing his presidency as the worst thing to have happened to ANLCA.
It could be recalled that Nwabunike became the president of ANLCA in 2018 but did not enjoy a moment of peace for the four years he spent due to the ballooning crisis that engulfed the association during his tenure which made him elope abroad under the guise of study leave, relinquishing the mantle of leadership to his Deputy, Kayode Farinto as an acting president.
However, Barrister Akpunonu, who incidentally worked assiduously for Nwabunike to emerge as the President of ANLCA in 2018, lambasted the pioneer Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN), the freight forwarder cum politician, describing him as the worst president ANLCA ever had.

“It is a shame that we brought someone like Tony Iju  Nwabunike who came and messed up the association. His tenure was a disaster.

“For the fact that he is my brother from the same village, I was thinking due to his previous experiences, he would deliver and that was why I supported and even worked for his emergence as the President of ANLCA in 2018.

“But we can all see the disaster he turned out to be

“It is obvious that he was not prepared for the presidency of ANLCA. He just wanted to use the ANLCA platform to build his political career in national politics and boost his CV.

“He merely used ANLCA to boost his chances in national politics when he went to contest in the House of Representatives election which he lost and he never got his bearing since then.

“He was never prepared and that is why he turned out a disaster as the president of ANLCA.

“He was the one who plunged the association into the present crisis with the support of some members, especially the so-called elders, who are feasting on the crisis in ANLCA.

“Those merchants of trouble exploited the ineffective and lack of focus of Tony’s presidency to foment trouble which has brought the association down to its knees.

“The consequence of their inordinate action is the untold suffering of members who are agonizing under the yoke of oppressive policies in the port.

“We are watching with keen interest the efforts to bring back the elusive peace in ANLCA.

” Unfortunately, I am yet to be convinced of the sincerity of the peacemakers and other actors in the so-called peace process.

“It is ironic that the same people who are supposed to ensure peace in the association are the same people frustrating the peace moves,”  the Amazon of the freight forwarding industry said.

She also accused Nwabunike of deceiving the ANLCA members to abandon their fight against what she described as the oppressive Practitioners Operating Fees(POF) which was foisted on the freight forwarders.
Akpunonu alleged that, apart from using the ANLCA platform to enhance his political career, Nwabunike because ANLCA president for the purpose of wanting to share the proceeds of the controversial POF.
“The issue of POF is one of the reasons Tony Nwabunike became ANLCA president because he thought they will collect the money and share it among the associations.

When reminded that she was making a grave allegation, the ANLCA queen retorted ” This is not an allegation. I discussed it personally with him. I told him it wouldn’t be right to further put an additional burden on our members in the name of POF.”Remember that before he came, ANLCA was in court to protest against the POF.

” The first assignment he undertook when he came was to withdraw the case from the court.

“He deceived members to withdraw the matter and settle it out of court.

“We gave him support, thinking he was honest and sincere about the whole process, not knowing that he was doing all these things for his own pecuniary interest.

“So, as I said earlier, POF is the major reason he became ANCLA president, which he never prepared for, apart from the fact that he also wanted to use the ANLCA platform to boost his political career.

“Unfortunately, they played into the hands of the Ministry of Transportation through the scheming of Tony and his cohorts and the government hijacked it.

“The whole issue blew open when Prince Olayiwola  Shittu, the then ANLCA president, was fighting with Boniface Aniebonam of NAGAFF over the sharing formula.

“Some of us were opposed to the collection of the POF but our leaders were supporting it for their own selfish interests.

“I queried the propriety of the POF, why should we be made to be paying practicing fees when, as members of CRFFN ,we pay our annual subscription fees?

“It is a principle of double jeopardy.

Akpunonu further said that other members of such professional bodies as NBA, NMA and ICAN do not pay practising fees after their annual subscription fees.

”A lawyer, having registered with NBA  as a member, does not pay each day he goes to court.”, she declared

“Initially, the POF was to be paid directly to the associations, deducted at the source and share the proceeds among themselves but because of the in-fighting over the sharing formula, they invited the government to intervene by offering the ministry of transportation a token from the largesse.

“As God would have it, the government, which was not aware of such money, took advantage of the situation and hijacked it to the detriment of the trading public.

“They brought Rotimi Amaechi, the then Minister of Transportation, into the fray. So when Amaechi saw that there was money to be made by the government and the government was looking for ways to get money, he took control of the POF from the associations.

“Interestingly, the government only offers each association a paltry sum of N200,000 monthly from the proceeds of the POF which runs into millions of Naira every month.

“So, each association gets N2.4 million per year from the accrued billions being collected from the POF.

“Because of greed and personal interests of our leaders, the associations lost out and the government took over the POF.

“When Ameachi was brought into the picture, he said which money are you people collecting, pay it into the coffers of  Federal government.

“So they shot themselves in the foot.

“This was part of the consideration to get POF money that makes Tony Nwabunike become ANLCA president, thinking he would be making billions from the POF, but that was not to be.

“When the plan failed, he abandoned the association and fled abroad.

“Have you seen where a General in the army abandons his troop in the middle of a war? That was what Nwabunike did when he left ANLCA in the middle of a crisis under the guise of studying abroad. Is that not an act of cowardice?

“He made so many promises that ANLCA will pull out of CRFFN and that we are going to be a chartered association like Accountants did, did he do any of them before he ran away?

“He was not doing this but was busy arranging for the collection of POF.” Barrister Akpunonu alleged

Mr. Charles Chidi Ibah, a member of ANLCA and the Managing Director of Philyke Global Services, corroborated the views of Akpunonu.
He claimed that the lucre of POF was what lured Nwabunike to contest for the ANLCA president, saying he had no clear-cut vision for the association.
“What Tony envisaged on the POF was not what eventually happened. Amaechi, being a smart politician, hijacked the fund” declared Mr Charles Ubah.

“Also, Iju was still smarting from the loss of his House of Representatives ticket so he was not really settled to concentrate on the business of ANLCA.

“He left the association for about six months to pursue the House of Representatives ticket which he lost before he came back.

” By the time he came, the crisis in ANLCA had festered and overwhelmed him and his government has been hijacked by those who were overlooking the affairs of the association in his absence.

“Those who have benefitted from ANLCA are the ones trying to destroy it now. Those who have spent years in the position of authority in ANLCA refused to go, yet they will say the youths are the leaders of tomorrow but the youths are getting older without attaining that position of leadership.

“But I blame the youths for failing to rise up and take back ANLCA from these old brigades who refused to go.

“If the EndSars revolution does not play out in ANLCA, this problem of old people perpetuating themselves in ANLCA  leadership positions will continue with impunity.

Meanwhile, Barrister Akpunonu wanted the government to probe the initial collection of the controversial POF before some terminals were collecting it while others were not.

”This is to ascertain the amount collected then and how it was used”.

“Government should even investigate the money because there was a time before the policy gained traction, some were collecting while some were not collecting before the government make it mandatory for all terminals to comply.

“Government should therefore investigate the amount that was collected then” she declared.

However, Nwabunike, who is currently studying abroad, did not reply to the WhatsApp messages sent to him to respond to the allegations.
Our correspondent noted that the ANLCA President saw and read the questionnaires sent to him over the allegations but is yet to respond to any of them at the time of going to the press.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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