As part of efforts to enhance the practice of freight forwarding at Tincan Island Port (TCIP), the TCIP Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olawale Cole, has expressed willingness to collaborate with other sister associations even as he vowed to have an open and inclusive governance.
Cole, who made this pledge in Lagos on Thursday when his chapter hosted the National President of ANLCA, Mr. Emenike Nwokeoji, stressed that a coordinated leadership approach would lead to solving the operational challenges facing freight forwarders at the port.
He also assured that he would mobilize both the present and past leaders of the freight forwarding associations in the chapter to create a platform where they could come together as a family to brainstorm on ways to tackle common operational challenges facing their members.
His words: “We are going to come up, probably by next week, with committees that will handle each and every operational challenges. I want to bring other sister associations – APFFLON, NAGAFF and others into those committees. I want it to be a combined efforts because we are not in competition here, what we need is result. We want to achieve a new Tincan and that is what we need and believe me, by God’s grace, we will get it right.
“We have sister associations here, and I want to use this opportunity also to tell our sister associations that we are going to form a very big family and we are going to work as one big family.
“All our members have been suffering in one way or the other because we didn’t have a proper organization. Now, with all the past leaders of the whole associations, and the present leaders of the associations, the present executive of the associations, and the past executive of the associations, we are going to come together, form a platform that the customs and other stakeholders in the industry will know that this is a new dawn in Tincan.”
Describing Tincan as a winner, the Chairman further underscored the importance of the stakeholders saying, “We cannot achieve more without everybody’s contribution.”
Appreciating those who contributed towards the refurbishment of the chapter secretariat which before now was under lock and key, Cole stated, “Even after election, they still contributed to this huge project and you shouldn’t be surprised because it’s a job that we prepared ourselves for. It’s a vision that we have had for so many years and believe me, somebody just have to take that pain to start it. And I believe that with all the past leaders and their experiences, we are going to get it right.
“Believe me, even if they don’t give you Coordinator or they don’t give you ID card, this secretariat is free and open for you and unless you don’t come, the moment you step into this secretariat, all your problems are solved by the grace of the almighty God.”
Speaking on collapsing the different factions that had existed in the chapter before now and the need for everyone to close rank and work together for the good of the members of the association, he said, “We need everybody to believe now, from this moment that all of us are one and we are all going to work together.
“The job is very broad such that one person cannot do it all. We need everybody’s input, we need bunch of intellectuals sitting down here, we need people with vision sitting down here to contribute to this project so that at the end of the day, we will all come out successful.”
The event also featured free medical care and health checks for freight forwarders and other participants including; blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, among others.
Subsequently, the next phase of the programme took the association to the office of the Customs Area Controller of TCIP, where Comptroller Frank Onyeka hosted ANLCA President, Nwokeoji who was accompanied some members of his executive committee and TCIP chapter.
The ANLCA boss commended Comptroller Onyeka for streamlining all alerts on cargoes and eradicating delays in cargo delivery.
Nwokeoji equally thanked the CAC for the collaborative efforts that he is making and the new found synergy that port operators are currently witnessing at the Command.
