Freight Forwarders Bicker Over JACOFF’s Role

The face-off between the Joint Action Committee of Freight Forwarders (JACOFF) the Nigeria Customs Service may not have settled as more reactions are still trailing the rationale behind the establishment of the committee.

Speaking with newsmen,  former president of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Aare Sanni Shittu, said the setting up of JACOFF by the three major freight forwarding groups in Nigeria was to give freight forwarders in the country a common voice.

Shittu who regretted the current  face-off between the leadership of JACOFF and the Nigeria Customs Service stated that JACOFF was not set up to witchhunt any group in the industry.

“JACOFF was formed with the intent to correct the ills in the industry and was not established to fight any agency at the port. We want a situation where when there is a problem, all the agencies come together and proffer a solution. The face-off between the Customs management and JACOFF is unfortunate and whatsoever the different is we don’t intend to fight ourselves on the pages of newspapers,” Shittu said.

The  president of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF), Dr. Frank Ukor, said JACOFF formation is one of the best things that have happened to the freight forwarding industry.

He said that with JACOFF, freight forwarders are now speaking with one voice.

“JACOFF is a very good thing that has happened to the industry because all the registered freight forwarding association have come under it to speak with one voice. So, it is very good thing that has happened and we are very happy about it,” Ukor said.