The Board of Trustees (BOT) of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has dissolved the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Association with a view to repositioning the management team for improved efficiency and services to members.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the Board, Dipo Olayoku, he stated that the BOT has approved the constitution of a new NEC immediately to avoid a vacuum. Adding that members of the association who have attended the approved executive mandatory courses of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) or have a minimum qualification of first degree or its equivalent from any higher Institution, is eligible to take up responsibility in the Association.
Olayoku expressed disappointment that the Comptroller General of Customs Rtd. Col. Hameed Ali did not include CRFFN headquarters among other government agencies and parasatals he visited during his familiarization tour of the Western Command, stating that it underscores the fact that the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) may not have realized that its most strategic partner in the administration and management of Customs Laws is the CRFFN.
According to him, “NAGAFF is conversant and familiar with all the newly appointed management team of the Service and we do endorse their competence and capacity to drive the presidential mandate of reform, restructure and enhanced revenue collections in the Customs ports and approved border stations. The licensing regulation, if not reviewed, such that licenses are granted to individuals under the regulations of CRFFN, the ongoing reforms, restructuring and enhanced revenue drive might not succeed due to the abuse inherent in the licensing of Corporate entities. It is not only doing a severe harm to government revenue but it equally serves as a shield to criminality against the revenue functions of Customs.
“It is our view that the Permanent Secretaries at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Finance as the supervisory Ministries should kick start discussions on the best options for a mutual co- existence and operations of CRFFN and CEMA as it affects the freight forwarding
profession because we cannot achieve compliance in Customs duty assessment if we do not respect the principles and practices of professionalism. This is the primary and statutory duty of CRFFN as opposed to licensing of corporate bodies by the NCS which is a mere vocation for practitioners. The scope of a licensed customs agent is limited to entry/export points of Nigeria with regard to revenue collection.” He said
