ANLCA - CRFFN Court Battles over Union Elections End

Segun Amoo I

The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has made good its promise to withdraw court cases against the governing Council election of the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).

ANLCA had dragged CRFFN and the Federal Ministry of Transportation to court over elections into the governing council of the Council.

This was even as the Council announced June 29, 2018 as a new date for conducting the rescheduled governing council election.

The withdrawal of the court case move was seen as the only way to justify ANLCA’s readiness to contest for the Governing Council election being organised by CRFFN.

In a statement made available to nigeriamaritime360.com correspondent, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Mike Jukwe, said that the election earlier scheduled for 16th May, 2018 is now to take place on the 29th June, 2018 in Abuja.

He revealed that as a result of the change of the election date, nomination forms alongside detailed Election Time Table and Manual were available for collection as from Monday, 28th May, 2018 at the Councils’ Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos as well as at its Zonal offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.
He expressed appreciation to stakeholders of the industry for their understanding and co-operation and re-affirmed the readiness of the Council for a successful Governing Council election that will enhance the repositioning of the sub-sector to enviable height.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of ANLCA, Mr. Joe Sanni who confirmed the withdrawal of the case also said the association was now ready for the Governing Council election.

Sanni said that the National President, Iju Tony Nwabunike in preparation for the CRFFN Council election had also called a meeting to seek unity among members for the election.
The meeting according to the statement was for the National President to brief members on the outcome of the mandate he got unanimously from members few weeks ago “to seek political solution to the onerous eligibility conditions rolled out by CRFFN for the elections into the governing council”.

Nwabunike told members that the association will now contest the Council election having secured a number of waivers to be able to enter the election.

He told members that it was better to be part of the Governing Council to be able to effect change, which was carried by the house.

Nwabunike also disclosed that with the new date, ANLCA will now mobilise for more registration of members throughout the country, particularly the Eastern and Western zone.

He said with CRFFN registration, ANLCA will have many members to vote during the CRFFN election, a development that is seen as checkmating the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) which said it set aside N40million to register members in CRFFN to be able to vote during the election.

The ANLCA President was applauded for securing several waivers, as he promised, for the largely onerous eligibility conditions initially set out in the rules and regulations rolled out, especially as it affects payment of outstanding dues payable by individual members.

The clauses banning the participation of elected, appointed members of associations, and those that went to court against CRFFN & FMOT, in the elections, were totally removed as a result of interventions by the ANLCA President.