In a bid to move its association forward and to realise its goals, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders & Logistics of Nigeria(APFFLON) on Tuesday swear-in some of its newly appointed national officers and four chapters executive to run the affairs of the association both at the national and chapter levels in the ports.
The Chapters are Apapa , Tin Can Island , Ikorodu and PTML Chapters.
Apapa chapter executives has eleven members with Alhaji Ibrahim Hasan as the Chairman, while Tin Can Island which has Nine(9) Member executives is led by Fwdr. Emeka Nwosu. Ikorodu/Ibeshe chapter has 10 member executives led by Alhaji Ismail Adeniyi as Chairman.
Muritala Mohammed Airport(MMA) Chapter has 9 executives and Pastor Victor Shotayo as Chairman, while MMIA Chapter, which is being restructured has Fwdr Ibe Martins as Coordinator.
Also, newly appointed national executives of the Association sworn-in at the occasion include Chief Bartholomewe Onuoha- Vice President; Barr. Olusegun Balogun Esq. – Ass. General Secretary among others.
In his speech at the occasion at the APFFLON National Secretariat , the National President, Mr Otumba Frank Ogunojemite charged the officers to keep to the vision of the association as well as ensure the growth of their chapters.
Otumba who describe APFFLON as a movement said the association has continued to make impact in the development of the Industry and had kicked against incessant increase in charges and dumurages through the appropriate channels and positive actions taken by the relevant authorities to this effect.
He further said the welfare of its members is Paramount to the Organization, and has come up with some schemes that will better their lots such as Health insurance schemes, Housing schemes for its members (just like other professional organisations like NUJ has for its members), linked their members to well equipped hospital for their health needs and cooperative scheme.
Speaking also, the Public Relations Officer of APFFLON, Abdul Razaq said the inauguration became necessary in order to bring them on board and introduce them to agencies so as to work legally as well as protect the interest of their members.
According to him, “the association is all about protecting the interest of our members and other freight forwarding practioners, so that is why we are bringing them on board.
“Our charge is for them to be good Ambassadors of APFFLON wherever they found themselves and that is what we have been doing and that is just why most of them are identifying with us today.
“APFFLON is a baby association. It will be 3 years old this year. We are just spreading our Tentacles. We have many members in Apapa, Tincan Island, Ikorodu/Ibeji , that is why we have inaugurated them today, we have few members in some chapters which cannot constitute full executives. And that is why we are suspending their inauguration.
“At Airport, we are doing restructuring. It is a pioneering chapter. We started there, we grew there and the growth spread. When you have home chapter and it is not moving as it used to be, that calls for restructuring. That is why we have restructuring at the Airport.
“We are trying to spread our tentacles at PTML, KLT,Seme,Port Harcourt, Onne even Abuja.”
