THE House of Representative Committee on Ports and Harbours has postponed its public hearing on the amendment of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Act.

Secretary of the committee, Jide Fumilayo, who confirmed the development to newsmen, said the public hearing had been postponed indefinitely.

It was gathered that the decision to postpone the public hearing was reached at a meeting by the committee members in Abuja on Monday.

It would be recalled that the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) had kicked against the planned public hearing insisting that there was no way stakeholders would access Abuja to make their inputs for an acceptable amended CRFFN bill due to the interstate lockdown imposed by the Federal Government as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 disease.

The association, in a letter signed by its Publicity Secretary, Joe Sanni, had also alleged that the scheduled date for the public hearing was an attempt by the CRFFN governing council members to collect by all means the Practitioners Operating Fee (POF), which had been severally opposed and objected to by members.

Registrar of the Council, Samuel Nwakohu, who welcomed the development said in view of the current realities in the country occasioned by COVID-19, the postponement will afford stakeholders the opportunity to attend the hearing rather than limit it to only few who have representatives in Abuja.

On allegation that the planned public hearing was an attempt by the CRFFN to impose collection of the practitioners operating fees (POF) on practitioners, Nwakohu said, “Among the five accredited associations, nobody is resisting POF, they all have communiqués they wrote and gave to us that they are all in for POF. So, that allegation, to me is a misplaced focus.

“We have planned off really; it is just because of the situation the country finds itself now that slowed us down. So why should that be a problem again? The POF is for the benefit of the freight forwarders and they have all accepted that we start collection.”

"Exciting news! TheNigeriaLawyer is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest legal insights!" Click here! ....................................................................................................................... Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material and other digital content on this website, in whole or in part, without express and written permission from TheNigeriaLawyer, is strictly prohibited _________________________________________________________________

 To Register visit https://schoolofadr.com/how-to-enroll/ You can also reach us via email: info@schoolofadr.com or call +234 8053834850 or +234 8034343955. _________________________________________________________________

NIALS' Compendia Series: Your One-Stop Solution For Navigating Nigerian Laws (2004-2023)

Email: info@nials.edu.ng, tugomak@yahoo.co.uk, Contact: For Inquiry and information, kindly contact, NIALS Director of Marketing: +2348074128732, +2348100363602.