ANLCA Ex-president, Prince Shittu Threatens to Sue Amaechi, CRFFN Over Sharing Formula Illegality

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Prince Olayiwola Shittu

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The upcoming elections into the governing council of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has been generating a lot of controversies due to the undemocratic sharing formula; 6.6.1.1.1 being canvassed by the freight forwarding associations.

This is even as the immediate past National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Olayiwola Shittu has threatened to drag the transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi as well as the CRFFN to court if the illegal sharing formula is allowed to fly.

Recall that the five freight forwarding associations had met on two occasions and insisted that, instead of conducting a democratic election, the positions on the CRFFN governing board should be shared among them based on 6.6.1.1.1 sharing formula.

In an exclusive chat with DAILY TREND NEWS last week, Prince Olayiwola Shittu warned that if this illegality is allowed to work, it clearly shows that the Ministry of Transportation has been compromised.

According to the elder statesman, the sharing formula being touted around in the CRFFN is undemocratic, and the fact that the associations succeeded with it in 2018 does not mean it would work in 2021.

He said “We expected the Ministry of Transportation, and the supervising Minister to do things the right way, he should have announced that we are doing things democratically.
If the 6.6.1.1.1 sharing formula succeeds, it means that the ministry themselves have compromised.

“If the Ministry allows this 6.6.1.1.1 illegality to prevail, I would join the band of people who are gathering together now, and sue both the ministry and everyone involved. If they succeed with that manipulation, we would end up in court” Shittu warned

Shittu also took a swipe at his successor in office, Hon Tony Iju Nwabunike, the National President of ANLCA for promoting anti-democratic tendencies, describing it as his stock in trade.

“I am not supprised that somebody like Tony Iju who is the president of an enviable association like ANLCA would join hands to promote anti-democratic tendencies for the sake of convenience.

“It is not a supprise because in his intervention in their board election which is affecting his leadership, he also told us then that democracy does not need to work”

“Tony Iju is gunning for House of Representatives, I pray he wins, but what if he now stumbles on this kind of allocation formula, would he be happy?

“It is unfortunate that people are hell bent on capturing the CRFFN for pecuniary reasons.

“The 6.6.1.1.1 is just a marriage of convenience, when has any of the associations called their members to even brief them on what they are doing? The leader of the association are just deciding to do what they want, their decision does not represent the interest of the generality of the members, their was no record that they met with their members through general meetings or NEC meeting, all these are desperations.

“If they should do this election democratically, and for every man to go and campaign, by now we should be hearing from those who are going into the Council, giving us their manifesto, but they are all queuing up behind, only to be sponsored by associations.

“The maiden Council election was two-to-tie because there was no association interest, some of us that voted back then knew we were making a sacrifice for our profession.

“Right now, even the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has done a better job than us, look at the way their affairs have been since Adeyanju took over, they would be seating down in a corner now and laughing at us” he stated

The immediate past ANLCA President also said that the independent contestants in the upcoming elections are not doing a good job. According to him, those who are running for various positions are supposed to be campaigning by now and unveiling their manifestos to the voters.

Shittu further advised the freight forwarding associations not to commercialise things that should have been done democratically. He urged them to tow the part of democratic processes.

“Some of the associations, including NAGAFF that has always been a one-man decision affair, whenever they are having their chapter election, you see people coming out to campaign, that’s how democracy should be.

“We had warned before all this started, that the democratic steps being taken in CRFFN was a key feature of ANLCA which is now being thrown overboard, every body has seen it now, when was the last time ANLCA conducted elections without a rising faction? This is because things are being done undemocratically

“If you remove the POF collection today, this 6.6.1.1.1 arrangement would collapse, it is an aberration.

“We do not want to be tagged with the rubbish that is going on, and that is why many people are not talking” he said

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