Controversies Trail NAGAFF Donations ,As ANLCA Rejects N100,000 Palliative
Controversies have continued to trail the 100,000 donations made possible by National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) to a sister group, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) as the latter has rejected the offer.
While NAGAFF had reached out to all other registered associations under the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Lagos and Federal Governments as well as the maritime media groups, so as to cushion the effect of Coronavirus pandemic, in a statement made available to newsmen, ANLCA members considered the gesture as a sleep to their face.
In a statement on Tuesday signed by the association’s President Tony Iju Nwabunike urged management of NAGAFF to plough the money back to the association in achieving a befitting operational environment.
Nwabunike also advised leadership of NAGAFF to drop the donations for the two tier of government instead of waiting for the officials.
NAGAFF had announced the donation of N100,000 to Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and N50,000 each to three other freight forwarding associations so as to cushion the effect of Coronavirus pandemic.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a press release from National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) announcing cash donations as Covid19 relief materials to government and some organisations.
“In the statement, which is now being published by some online news website, the
Association ot Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA)was awarded N100,000 (one hundred thousand naira)
“While appreciating the magnanimity of NAGAFF to make these donations at this critical period, we ask that the amount donated to ANLCA be ploughed back into NAGAFF in helping to achieve a befittng operating environment for it and its operatives.
“Without sounding immodest, we wish to state that ANLCA is at the fore of supporting the
less privileged at our individual and corporate levels without making a show of it as such
could puncture the dignity and selt esteem or the receivers.
“We in ANLCA as a body of notable individuals in the customs brokerage and freight forwarding profession have stepped up giving to persons in and outside of the maritime
industry without making a media show or hype ot it.
“I must say, we have not stopped giving because we owe humanity and our immediate
society some degree of charity
“We do this in the consciousness, that our creator who sees our works of charity, done in
secret, will reward us in the open on this earth and world hereafter.
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Where you did announce in your statement that the listed beneficiaries of your donations
should contact The Undersigned”.
” Don’t expect Federal and Lagos State Governments to contact you because they are engrossed in managing effect of the pandemic and containing it’s spread.
“LIke many donor organisations and individuals are doing. please move forward to the governments and make your donations to them. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
Recall that NAGAFF in a press release signed by the Secretary General of NAGAFF, Mr Dipo Olayoku, noted the association equally donated N500,000 to the Federal Government and N350,000 to the Lagos State Government.
Other associations who benefited from the donation were the various beat associations of maritime journalists in Nigeria.
The break down of the donations is as follows:
1) Federal Government COVID-19 – N500,000
2) Lagos State COVID -19 – N350,000
3) NCMDLCA – N50,000
4) MARAN – N50,000
5) AMJON – N50,000
6) NAGAFF SEME border – N50,000
7) NAGAFF Jibiya border – N50,000
8) League of Editors – N50,000
9) MAJAN – N50,000
10) NAGAFF Idiroko border – N50,000
11) ANLCA – N100,000
12)AREFFN – N50,000
13) NAFFAC – N50,000
The NAGAFF Scribe said the donation is to further ensure operational efficiency and wellbeing of the port users across the ports.
“During the daily and weekly analysis of situation report on the ports
operations under the Covid-19 pandemic aimed at monitoring and ascertaining the compliance level by stakeholders from the situation room today resolved to appreciate the commitment and efforts of the above listed bodies towards their collective efforts towards their collective efforts against Covid -19 pandemic, thus rolled out palliative incentives to support them”, he said.
“NAGAFF therefore call on all well meaning critical stakeholders at the port industry to rise to the occasion by deploying its resources towards safeguarding the ports and its users to engender the curtailing of the spread
of Covid-19 pandemic”
“May we re-emphasize, that the fight against Covid -19 should be a collective effort, and that no stone should be left unturned in this regard”
“While commending the efforts and tenacity of the aforementioned stakeholders under the prevailing circumstances, NAGAFF wishes to reiterate its official position that freight forwarders who do not have any business in the port are requested to stay at home, while those who have official business engagement in the ports should do so with total adherence to the stipulated precautionary measures by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the directive of the government, through its relevant agencies”
“Accordingly, we do stress that only the living and healthy can carry out business functions beyond Covid-19, hence the need to keep safe and secured” he said.
By Roland Ekama
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