Stakeholders challenge NAGAFF over committee on port concessionaires
By Eguono Odjegba
TWO groups, the Council of Managing Directors of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, CMDNLCA, and the All Ports Unified Freight Forwarding Practitioners Association, APUFFPA, have accused the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, of attempt to uplift itself to a quasi-regulatory body.
Their reactions came at the backdrop of NAGAFF’s setting up of what it called a Technical Committee to evaluate the performance of port concessions.
NAGAFF had during the inauguration of the said technical committee, given it 60 days to come up with its report for onward submission to the Ministry of Transportation.
National President of NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche, explained that the committee would embark on re-evaluation and assessment of port concessionaires such as APM Terminals Apapa and proceed to other terminal operators in Lagos ports.
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He said: “NAGAFF high command in her wisdom has decided to carry out a holistic re-evaluation/a comprehensive assessment of the performance of APMT among others. As the link that brings all the players together in the general supply chain, the freight forwarders have been dutifully carrying out their role as required particularly, in ensuring a seamless flow of ports operations, covering all the terminals including the APMT.
“From our informed knowledge the APMT has remained one of the terminals that have not achieved the purpose for which the government carried out the reform in the maritime industry. It is based on this fact and for numerous other reasons that this assignment is hereby bestowed on these selected members with the onerous task.”
Also speaking at the inauguration, founder NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam tasked the committee to be diligent in their fact finding mission.
Commenting, APUFFPA President, Prince Mike Okorie, described the action of NAGAFF as curious. He stated: “When I read the report online, I pinched myself, because it sounds funny and worrisome. Has the system and our government fallen to the level where individuals now arrogate government tasks to themselves? NAGAFF mentioned Ministry of Transport, and am wondering if the ministry has divested its agencies of their regulatory assignments and handed them over to individuals.
“Some of their self assigned tasks carry presidential committee tags. I don’t really know what is happening in the industry anymore, whether government has taken the backseat from its regulatory function. Sometimes I wonder whether its all an attempt to hijack the function of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding of Nigeria, CRFFN, because NAGAFF has about six seats in CRFFN.”
Also reacting, Ari Ayuba, PTML chapter chairman of the Council of Managing Director of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, CMDANLCA, said NAGAFF’s exercise was in futility and will lead nowhere. He stated: “I saw them wearing apron in the port. It is preposterous for anybody to just wake up and say you want to set up a presidential anti-corruption body, who gave you the powers? NAGAFF’s committee is unacceptable and illegal. The issue is not corruption but attitude of the Customs: customs-agents relationship; Customs-Importers-agents relationship; and vice versa. Customs needs to improve on that and the suspicion of collusion with these people to engage in corrupt practices can then be taken care of. NAGAFF doesn’t have any power to set up compliance committee; it can only monitor the conduct of its members.
“As freight forwarders NAGAFF’s concern should be to raise awareness about un-motorable port access roads. Since their primary job is freight, they should also focus on the roadworthiness of trucks picking containers at the port, and maybe partner with VIOs to ensure road worthiness compliance. The rate at which containers are falling down, damaging goods worth millions of naira on the road is alarming. Apart from those, there is high cost of transportation freight; these are the areas NAGAFF should concern itself with.”
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