APFFLON raises alarm on wrongdoings of govt agencies at ports, writes IGP

…makes inroad into South Africa, Ethiopia…

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The various forms of illegalities obstructing seamless cargoes clearing activities at the ports being masterminded by security and government agencies gives the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), sleepless nights.

In the light of the foregoing, the continental association has petitioned the Inspector – General of Police (IGP) for his intervention inoin proffering solution to this ugly trend.

Otunba Frank Ogunojemite,the National President of APFFLON, made the position known on Tuesday at the inauguration and restructuring of some chapters at the association secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos.

Apapa, Tincan and Ikorodu chapters were among the chapters inaugurated while the Airport chapter was restructured.

Fielding questions from journalists shortly before the inauguration, Ogunojemite said that the group was poised to fighting the cause of members of the group except the ones not brought to the notice of the association.

Other branch executives inaugurated include Tincan, with Mr. Godfrey Nwosu emerged the chairman while Ayeni Adekunle became the Vice Chairman; in Apapa, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan was inaugurated as the Chairman while Mr. Martin Adimonye became the Vice Chairman.

At MMIA, Pastor Victor Akorede Shotayo emerged the Chairman with Marley Kudu as the Vice Chairman while in Ikorodu, Alhaji Ismail Adeniyi is the Chairman with Chief Okey Nneke as the Vice Chairman,among other executives respectively.

Ogunojemite, appealed to members to avail the national secretariat of the association with necessary information as it continues to fight and but appropriate government enforcement agencies on notice on the various malfeasences of security agents as well as that of the governmemt agencies going on at the ports.

“Those things we want to do differently is what we have started doing. For instance,there are lots of issues with alerts and I have a lot of information.

“The present IG is the one that unveiled APFFLON when he was the AIG Maritime in Kam Salem and we have put a letter across to him on this issue.

“In terms of Customs, the FOU Task Force causing issues on the roads, we were part of the advocacy that said they don’t need to come close to where ports are because that shows they don’t trust themselves.

“If an officer releases a consignment and not long away, another operative impounds it, what does that mean?

“But Ekekezie who is the ACG in charge of western zone has spoken to us a lot about the issue because there are lots we have talked about with her.

“We are working on that except those members do not bring it to the table of APFFLON.

As the name of the association depicts Africa,
he said the group had been registered in South Africa but could not unveil it because of the effects of Covid-19

Staying that the process of registering the presence of the group in Ethiopia is currently ongoing, assuring members that it will soon come into limelight.

“We have done a lot but the Covid-19 has been an impediment that did not allow people to know what we have been doing so far but so far,we have registered in South Africa and Ethiopia is ongoing.

“We have done that of South Africa over one and half years ago but we could not unveil because of the effect of the pandemic,” he submitted.