The statement which was issued on Tuesday and signed by Dr. Clement Iwegbuna, Head of special Duty NAGAFF Board in Lagos. It reads: “The groups had aligned themselves with a court verdict obtained by the factional President of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero, which challenged the authority of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN)”
According to NAGAFF, the groups’ actions are a clear attempt to sabotage the CRFFN and deny the government of its statutory revenue. The Board in Council had chosen to remain calm and silent, but the recent press conference held by the four groups left them with no choice but to set the record straight.
CRFFN Logo
NAGAFF recalled that the CRFFN had appealed the court verdict and filed an application for a stay of execution, which means the judgment remains invalid pending the outcome of the appeal court decision. The Board also noted that Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero had lambasted the groups for their unsolicited support, describing them as “strange bedfellows” and “directionless folks.”
The NAGAFF Board also took a swipe at ANLCA, recalling that the association had vehemently opposed the creation of the CRFFN and had presented a counter-Bill to establish a Council for the regulation of Licensed Customs Agents. The Board also mentioned that ANLCA had rigged the 2008 election into the Governing Council of the CRFFN, which led to the emergence of seven members of ANLCA and one member of NAFFAC.
Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola (CON),
NAGAFF advised the Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola (CON), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the Registrar and the Management of the CRFFN not to lose sleep over the development, as the four splinter groups do not constitute up to 20% of the entire freight forwarding practitioners in Nigeria. The Board also stated that NAGAFF alone forms over 80% of freight forwarders in Nigeria.
The NAGAFF Board made several demands, including:
NAGAFF Founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
* The deregistration of the four ailing associations and the withdrawal of their certificates of registration by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
* The need for the authorities to investigate the financial standing of CRFFN from inception to date
* The threat to government revenue is a statutory offense that should not be toyed with
* The ANLCA and NCMDLCA should stop impersonating their actual names/nomenclature and adopt their new label and move intelligently with time
The Board also passed a vote of confidence on the current Registrar of CRFFN, Mr. Kingsley Igwe, for his excellent performance despite the distractions and disturbances by the naysayers and enemies of the state.
