Freight Forwarders Stopped CRFFN From Collecting POF At Ports, Questions Monies Collected So Far
…Case Comes Up 21st April
Nigerian freight forwarders have succeeded in putting a stop to the collection of the controversial Practitioners Operating Fee (POF) by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) even as the Federal High Court in Ikoyi Lagos suspended the Council from going ahead with the collection.
The court has subsequently fixed 21st day of April, 2021 for Hearing of the Motion on Notice.
In the suit with number : FHC/L/CS/277/202 which was filled on 11th March 2021, a copy of which was obtained by DAILY TREND NEWS, the freight forwarders prayed the court to restrain the Minister of Transportation, the CRFFN and eleven terminal operators from enforcing collection of the POF.
The plaintiffs to the case include TITLAY INVESTMENTS LTD, CHIEF ARIRO OYE ODUNOLA, LEWIS STEVEDORING INTERNATIONAL LTD, SARALAND VENTURES LTD, TUNS-TUNS NIGERIA LTD, KETAID SYSTEMS LIMITED, MR. YOMI ABIBOLA and BIO-BIO VENTURES LTD.
The defendants are the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Chibuike Amaechi, CRFFN and eleven seaport terminals, including ENL CONSORTIUM LTD, APM TERMINAL APAPA LTD, TIN-CAN ISLANDp CONTAINER TERMINAL LTD, PORT & CARGO HAULAGING SERVICES LTD, FIVE STAR LOGISTICS LTD, PORTS & TERMINAL MULTIPURPOSES LTD, APAPA BULK TERMINAL LTD, NIGERIA AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY LTD, GREEVIEW NIGERIA LTD, WEST AFRICA CONTAINER TERMINAL LTD and SIFAX AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY LTD.
In the Certified True Copy of the Order signed by the Court Principal Executive Officer, O. Y. THOMAS (Mrs) on 22/3/2021, the Judge, L. N Oweibo after hearing the Motion brought by Chike Okoro Esq, Council to the plaintiffs, granted the Interim Injunction, including the following reliefs:
“That the Application is accordingly granted as prayed. 2. That the Defendants/Respondents either by themselves, privies and or agents are hereby restrained from blocking the entrance to the various Ports with Security agencies, and barring the Plaintiffs from entry into the Ports for their daily Business operations except they comply with the payments of the Practitioners Operating Fee (POF), subject matter of this suit, pending the Hearing of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction dated 1st March 2021”
Meanwhile, freight forwarders have called on the CRFFN to account for the monies collected during the first three weeks of the POF collection by the Council.
Speaking with DAILY TREND NEWS correspondent in Lagos last week, Chairman of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at Tin Can Port, Alhaji Mojeed Mohammed confirmed that the POF collection has stopped at the port.
He however questioned what happens to all the money that has been collected so far by the CRFFN before the court puts a stop to it.
The CRFFN had kickstarted the POF collection on March 1st 2021 at TICT Terminal amidst a lot of protest from the Practitioners.
If successful, the CRFFN is targeting to rake N10billion annually from the controversial POF collection.
