I have said it before that the various efforts being put up as solutions to the ANLCA crisis was dead on arrival because the facilitators of such peace moves display an apparent lack of grasp of the current dynamics in the politics of ANLCA.
The facilitators, mostly ex presidents of the body, had this erroneous mindset that the road to peace in ANLCA is just to pay visits and hold talks with some vocal few and the crisis would disappear.
The surprise is that these facilitators do not bother to study the causative factors of the crisis, with the aim of tackling the problem from that angle.
This approach tend to accord credibility to the belief in some serious circles that these peace moves are self serving and not intended to achieve what it purports to achieve.
For the umpteenth time, ANLCA, because of its position as the foremost freight forwarding association in Nigeria and consequently the leverages that it gives to any group in control of the affairs of the organization, has lots of centrifugal forces intent to grab the levers of control.
These centrifugal forces, some operating independently and others operating as surrogates, are constantly pulling from their entriched positions. These pulls are often intense and relentless.
There is however one factor that unites these centrifugal forces. That factor is the commonality of their interest in using ANLCA to achieve economic, political and social relevance in the freight forwarding subsector and beyond.
Any threat therefore to this common bind, would suddenly unite these centrifugal forces. The result of this unity would be the cessation of the pulls and efforts then geared towards saving their common instrument of economic, political and social relevance.
This threat to their common bind will have to be initiated and executed by the sector regulatory officialdom.
The regulatory agencies, namely, CAC, Customs, Shippers Council, N.P.A, CRFFN and Ports Police Command should jointly issue a stern directive that if after six months ANLCA have not resolved this crisis and stay as a united body, which it is meant to be by law, that it would no longer be allowed to operate as an association in Nigeria.
There is no doubt that if this is done, the feuding parties would realize that if they continue with the crisis, there would no longer be an ANLCA to control. The pulls of the centrifugal forces would cease and all efforts would now be channeled to saving the association from the hammers of the regulators.
Thank you all.
Chidi Anthony Opara, RFF, FIIM
(Freight Forwarder and former ANLCA National Officer)
Public Opinion is the direct opinion of the writer and does not represent the view of the Maritime First.
– Editor
