The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has raised alarm over the appointment of a private consulting firm, SW Global by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to commence collection of its controversial professional operating fee (POF).
ANLCA National Publicity Secretary, Prince Kayode Farinto alleged that some undisclosed former members of the pioneer CRFFN Governing Council own the consulting firm.
He also alleged that SW Global would retain 40% of the money it collects as POF.
He said, “We have just discovered that there was an arrangement to give a company called SW Global the collection of the Controversial POF. The MOU signed with SW Global was that the company will collect 40% of the money generated.
“Those who are behind this company are former members of the Governing Council of CRFFN and some high ranking officers in the Ministry of Transport that have been promised one percentage or the other. That is why they are insisting that the POF must be collected.”
Farinto said ANLCA remains opposed to the POF collection until a new CRFFN Governing Council is constituted.
When contacted for his response to Farinto’s allegation,
CRFFN Registrar, Sir Mike Jukwe said, “I was not employed when the consultant was engaged.”
Meanwhile, ANLCA had also frowned at the call by the Concerned Registered Freight Forwarders Associations (CRFFA) for the immediate revocation of all licenses issued by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to protect government revenue.
Farinto said the call by the leadership group was unethical and a move to take the clearing industry back to the era of lawlessness and impunity.
“It interest me to note that people that ought to be referred to as elites in the industry are misleading the reading public and the entire stakeholders in the maritime industry,” he said.
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