The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has recanted its former position on the crisis rocking the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN) where it recognized the Dr. Frank Ukor led executive as the authentic leadership of the association as against the one led by the interim National President, Alhaji Bala Lawan Daura.
CRFFN had earlier in a letter dated 11th January, 2018 with reference CRFFN/AREFFN/RG/014 given credence to the Frank Ukor led executive which got extension of its tenure by six months from the National Executive Council (NEC) of the association following the expiration of its tenure on the 11th August, 2017 as against the appointment of an interim National Executive led by Alhaji Bala Lawan Daura by members of the association’s Board of Trustee (BoT), a development which did not go down well with members of the BoT leading to series of letters and media onslaught against CRFFN and its Registrar, Sir Mike Jukwe.
But in a letter dated 31st January, 2018 and signed by the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe this time advised Dr. Frank Ukor and members of the BoT not to do anything that would amount to professional misconduct and bring undue publicity to the freight forwarding subsector urging Dr. Ukor to organize election for the association “soonest” under the Council’s watch to democratically elect their leaders.
While calling for an amicable resolution of the crisis rocking the association devoid of litigation, undue publicity and complaints to the security agents, Jukwe however assured both parties of the availability of the Council to mediate in the crisis adding that the current letter supersedes the earlier one dated 11th January, 2018 with reference CRFFN/AREFFN/RG/014.
The letter reads, ”We refer to your letter referenced AREFFN/CRFFN/18/001 dated 9th January, 2018 on the above subject matter, which we replied vide a letter referenced CRFFN/AREFFN/RG/014 dated 11th January, 2018.
“You attention is drawn to Sections 19 &20 of CRFFN Act (Professional Misconduct and Discipline) Regulations, 2010 published no page B820 in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette No. 48, which is binding on all freight forwarders. We direct that all parties in the dispute adhere strictly to it.
“The freight forwarding subsector, once the noisiest has become very calm devoid of undue publicity and we wish it remains so. We urge you to hold election soonest under the Council’s watch to democratically elect your leaders.
“While we call for amiable resolution of the crisis devoid of litigation, undue publicity and complaints to the security authorities, be assured that we are available to mediate and this letter therefore supersedes that referenced CRFFN/AREFFN/RG/014 dated 11th January, 2018”.
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1 Comment
The letter by Mr. Jukwe, the Council Registrar, was copied the Board. But while the Board appreciates the efforts of the Council towards resolving the crisis in the Association, we restate that Ukor is no longer our President and should not have been addressed as such in the letter. The Council does not have any power under the CRFFN Act to impose persons as Presidents on Associations. Again and again, Dr. Ukor’s 5-year single tenure terminated on 11th August, 2017.
PMB would not come back to office to conduct the 2019 election six months after his tenure expired and he failed to do so.. That would run counter to all democratic norms. What would happen in the event that Mr. President failed, refused or neglected to conduct the 2019 election would be for an interim administration to be put in place to undertake the assignment. That is what the Board of AREFFN has done by appointing the Bala Lawan Daura-led interim structure to hold office until the Board conducts election.
So, it is the Board, of which Dr. Ukor is a member, that is to conduct election and not Ukor whose tenure ended 7 months ago.
Repetition , they say, is for emphasis. We reiterate that Ukor is no longer our President. We ask that CRFFN prevails upon him to stop parading himself as such as that is posing a serious threat to our internal efforts at resolving the crisis.
Innocent F.E.D Elum
(AREFFN Board Secretary)