From left: Technical officer, NAGAFF 100% Compliance Committee, Ralph Nwoye, Western Zonal Coordinator of the committee, Dr. Fred Ajuzie, Chairman, ANLCA Compliance Committee, Lameen Aliyu and Secretary NAGAFF Compliance Committee, Berth Okeke shortly after the press briefing in Lagos, Wednesday.

A coalition of the five registered freight forwarding associations has reacted to the recent bribery allegation over the proposed withdrawal of service to protest imposition of arbitrary charges by shipping lines, saying that they are successful businessmen and not bribe takers.

The coalition, which also said that the union of the five associations has come to stay insists that Mr. John Ofobike, who is the arrow head in the bribe allegations has allegedly been expelled by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents ANLCA and a drowning man, who should not be taken serious.

Membership of the coalition covers the five registered associations under the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria CRFFN, which include ANLCA, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders NAGAFF, Association of Registered Freight Forwarders ARFF, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents NCMDLCA and the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators NAFFAC.

Western Zonal coordinator of the NAGAFF 100% Compliance Committee, Dr Fred Ajuzie, who set the ball rolling during a press briefing by the coalition in Lagos, Wednesday, said the proposed withdrawal of service by the freight forwarders, which he described as a global practice instead of strike and protest, was primarily designed to compel the shipping companies to desist from imposing arbitrary charges on their principals, the importers and not to collect bribes.

He noted that these foreign shipping lines have for too long exploited Nigerians in their own country by refusing to refund their container deposits as well as imposing illegal and arbitrary demurrage charges on importers, a development that is taking a huge toll on Nigeria’s economy as such arbitrary charges are passed down to the final consumers of the products in terms of higher prices, which fuels inflationary trends.

Ajuzie, who was chairman of Apapa chapter of NAGAFF for eight years disclosed that many of these shipping lines have refused to establish holding bays for their empty containers and turn round and heap the problem on the users of their services by withholding their empty container deposits and imposing huge demurrage payments on them.

“Gentlemen, we have called you here to correct some misinformation by a paid group. I have been in this business for over three decades and what we use to know is that when you return your empty containers, your deposit is refunded to you immediately but these days, these shipping lines device lies to ensure our importers and members are denied their empty container deposits even when the empties have been returned in good time.

“So the proposed withdrawal of service was for us to shout out and draw the attention of relevant government agencies to come to our aid and that is why the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Nigerian Shippers Council NSC and the CRFFN are in the picture. Anyone that is alleging that it is for us to collect bribes for the shipping lines should have his brain examined.

“Since the withdrawal of service notice was issued, the media have covered all our meetings with the shipping companies; all convened by the government agencies, especially the CRFFN. How much bribe would the shipping companies give us to close our eyes so that they continue to exploit us and our people; Ajuzie questioned rhetorically.

Chairman, Compliance Committee of ANLCA, Alhaji Lameen Aliyu, who also spoke at the briefing, disclosed that Ofobike has since been allegedly expelled by ANLCA due to his anti-association activities, which are contrary to the association’s constitution, insisting that just like any other organisation or country, ANLCA has body of laws that guide its activities.

He regretted that despite the decision of the National President to bend over backward to grant amnesty to Ofobike severally, he continued to misbehave.

He said: “We’re working with NAGAFF and the other three registered associations for the good of our people. For too long they have kept us divided in order to exploit and continue to rip our people and so we have realised that and have come together and there is nothing anyone can do about that.

“Ofobike is an expelled member of ANLCA and so whatever he says does not hold any water. He has instituted more than 14 court cases against the association, the last one being in a kangaroo court in Kano in order to distract us. He is a drowning man and should therefore not be taken serious. They are the ones that have gone to collect bribes from the shipping companies so as to divide us.

“The media should also question why he is speaking for the foreign lines, which have Public Relations Units. If we asked the shipping companies for bribe in this era of technology, they know how to expose us and escalate it to the world and not using Ofobike, who is so idle to call press conferences and make allegations he cannot substantiate”.