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The Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), has officially commissioned its Secretariat on No 19, Calcutta Crescent, Apapa Lagos and recognised the Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, as the Freight Forwarder-General of the Nigerian Maritime Industry.
At the ceremony held on Thursday, September 8, 2022, MAJAN equally named its Conference Room after Aniebonam, as a mark of honour for his enormous support over the years, not only for MAJAN but also for his immense contributions to the entire maritime industry in Nigeria.
The newly-commissioned Secretariat has a standard Newsroom, Radio Studio and Conference Hall, among other facilities for journalists to perform their duties seamlessly.
In his remarks at the event, the President of MAJAN, Ray Ugochukwu, thanked Aniebonam for his contributions to the maritime industry and his efforts at repositioning and enthroning international best practices in the freight forwarding business in the country.
Presenting the award to Aniebonam, the MAJAN President also pointed out that he (Aniebonam) did not stop at founding one of the most vibrant industry associations and pressure groups in NAGAFF), but he also played a major role in the establishment of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN), adding that his foray into politics, which saw to the founding of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), was solely to fight from the inside.
“His benevolence to MAJAN knows no bounds and so we do not even know how to express our gratitude to him. These are the reasons for bestowing the honour on him,” Ugochukwu said.
Responding, Aniebonam, who congratulated MAJAN on the achievement, commended the leadership of the association for recognising him as a freight forwarder of Nigeria and charged journalists to focus on investigative journalism, saying such endeavour remained crucial to their success in the profession.
He said: “Our country is sinking and we must play our role to stop it from sinking. Just as I have said, we must all wake up to our responsibilities. He who goes to equity must do that with clean hands, the freight forwarder must abide by the laws of the land to also find justice. If anyone contravenes the law, he should be ready to face the music.
“Do not complain about the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Service, Strike Force and others if you are not doing the right things in the eyes of the law, you must, first of all, comply, before going to equity.
“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) must also do its job by educating and orientating the freight forwarders of the dangers of drug abuse and how to identify the different types of illicit drugs when sighted, we cannot run away from it.”
He also said the CRFFN must be properly modelled to discharge its responsibility to freight forwarders for the benefit of all, adding: “Journalists must ensure that this is done by reporting facts because if this is done the benefits will also come down to them in the form of capacity building and other forms of training.”
Also speaking, the National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Tony Iju Nwabunike, who was represented by the Secretary-General, Babatunde Mukaila, commended MAJAN for its outstanding performance in responsible reportage and advocacy for a better maritime industry.
He applauded the association for taking a bold step in building a secretariat to serve as its operational office and urged MAJAN members to focus more on factual and investigative reporting.
On his part, the representative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Apapa Division, Mr Maggaji, advised MAJAN members to take their statutory duty of investigative journalism more seriously.
Also speaking, a stakeholder in the maritime industry, Hajia Bola Muse, commended the MAJAN for its focus, consistency and commitment to its duties and responsibilities over the years.
