Following a report in one of the Maritime Newspapers where it was said that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) was registering touts and hoodlums as members, the Registrar of the Council, Sir Mike Jukwe has come out to debunk the allegation as false.
Speaking in a chat with Primetime Reporters when it visited the Abuja office of the Council, Sir Jukwe observed that the publication cannot be true owing to the fact that mere application for registration with the council cannot confer registration or membership on the applicants.
He went on to explain that for one to be seen as a duly registered member of CRFFN, such a person must have to fulfill some requirements as stipulated in the Act that established the Council alongside physical verification which according to him confers the right on the CRFFN to contact the institutions and the employers as the case may be to verify all claims by the applicants seeking registration with the Council.
“Registration with CRFFN as a Freight Forwarder is in accordance with Section 11(20 and 11(4a) as well as Section 4 of the CRFFN Act (Registration of Freight Forwarders), Regulations, 2010 made pursuant to the Act. Anyone can apply for registration as alleged but the application is not registration”.
“All applicants are meant to come for verification with the originals of the following requirements. To be registered as a freight forwarder, Section 4(2) and I quote; he/she must have qualification and experience in freight forwarding, logistics or transport in any of the modes with not less than (a) one year if he/she holds a University first Degree of any higher institution accredited by the National Universities Commission (b) two years if he/she holds a Diploma in any higher institution accredited by the National board for Technical Education (NBTE) and those from the CRFFN approved professional body/ institutes and the Nigerian Institutes of transport Technology (NITT) and (c) three years if he/she holds a Senior secondary School Certificate in addition to the certificate in Freight Forwarding awarded by the CRFFN approved professional body/institutes, the NITT, plus a Certificate of Experience issued by an employer under Section20 of the CRFFN act”, Jukwe explained.
He noted that with the above stringent procedures, there was no way touts and hoodlums could infiltrate the CRFFN Register of Freight Forwarders (RFF) as claimed by the publication.
He therefore described the story s incorrect and misleading urging the medium to always cross-check fact with CRFFN before going to the press.
Jukwe however disclosed that CRFFN do not act on petitions sent through text messages even as he said that petitioners were required to make written complaint or petitions, properly signed by the petitioner with the contact address, phone number, E-mails and other relevant information concerning the petitioner to deserve the management attention.
