NAGAFF
From Benjamin A Ameh, Lagos
NSC has to embrace dialogue with shipping companies and the concessionaires over the lingering court case about regulations of port charges
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) made this appealed during the Nigeria Shippers Council management team led by Barr Hassan Bello working visits the Nagaff village in Lagos.
The association affirmed that the current litigation, which is before the Court of Appeal will never solve the problem of port charges, urging the economic regulator to hold a critical meeting involving freight agents and the concessionaires.
The President of NAGAFF, Chief Eugene Nweke noted that Public Policy Advocacy has been sustained adding that the Nigeria Shippers Council has been able to protect the interest of the shippers and freight agents in Nigeria.
He said that the NSC and NAGAFF will continue to enjoy a robust relationship in freight forwarding practice and port reforms; stressing that there the industry has experienced reforms since it was made the commercial port regulator.
Chief Nweke urged the council not to compromise on the pricing system at the ports, even as he lauded the commercial port regulator for doing well so far
He also solicited for capacity building in the maritime sector to boost managerial level and other work forces
The founder of NAGAFF, Dr Boniface Aniebonam
While, Founder of NAGAFF; Dr. Boniface Aniebonam said the litigation and business has nothing in common, he therefore urged the council to call on other concerned gladiators for a discourse.
Aniebonam reaffirmed that the freight forwarding associations will stand firm to support moves made by the Council to address issues bothering on port charges pointing out that NAGAFF will always collaborate with the council in ensuring that Nigerian ports are friendlier and competitive.
He said that the council is acting on the mandate of president of the country, thus no organisation should discredit its operations, describing it as a constitutional provision.
The founder pointed out that the Shippers Council has the power to enforce regulations because the president of the country cannot be seen everywhere to make decisions. “For anyone to say that Nigeria Shippers Council is a toothless bulldog is as naive as anybody because what the council needs to do is that crime is crime while tutored council that the force of coercion is to attach policemen through a formal letter to the Inspector General of Police.
He further lauded the council for fighting a just course on behalf of the freight forwarders.”
The Executive Secretary, The Nigeria Shippers Council, Barr. Hassan Bello
In his remark, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Shippers Council (NSC) Barrister Hassan Bello said that the problem of the industry is within the stakeholders adding that the court cases will not proffer solution to the port operations adding that negotiations from the concessionaires would have been the best solution in addressing the situation at hand.
Bello assured freight agents that issues bothering on pricing will soon be a thing of the past. The council will not tolerate impunity pointing that its mandate is to be upright in dealing with the operators, he noted.
Barrister said that NAGAFF stood behind the council for it to obtain its status as a commercial regulator and the council cannot get it right without consultations with such critical stakeholders.
He added that the council does not have the capacity to regulate freight forwarders because according to him, it is the responsibility of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
The executive secretary added that the NSC can only advice or suggest to CRFFN on certain issues about freight forwarders. Bello said that before charges on cargoes can be increase at ports, the council, freight forwarders and other critical stakeholders must be consulted.
“Nigeria Shippers Council will never negotiate without the freight forwarders ” while noted that It pains me that what we have started negotiating actually ended in court and the court case will not solve the problem of the maritime industry, rather the problem of sector is with the stakeholders.
