As election into the governing council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is rescheduled to take place on the 29th of June, 2018, the National President of the Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (IFFCB), Dr. Zebulon Ikokide has said that the election was being planned without the involvement of those that the election was meant for, the freight forwarders.
Ikokide who made this claim in a press statement he issued in Lagos yesterday noted that although the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) may have been contacted partially, the fact remained that there were other dully registered associations and training institutes duly registered and recognized by CRFFN, the freight forwarders that were yet to be carried along.
He believed that the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe was bereft of ideas; hence he was arranging the election as if he wanted to conduct election for the whole country Nigeria and not a catchment of professionals in the maritime sub-sector of the economy.
He said,” If the CRFFN elections goes the way the Register is planning now, it will be one-sided and the reason for the establishment of the CRFFN will be thrown overboard. The CRFFN was established to integrate the freight forwarders to speak in one voice. The first Council became a flop due to the control of one association membership and all other freight forwarders were left outside. This election if not properly handled, only one Association especially NAGAFF will take control due to the fact that they have registered a lot of individual members well over 2,000 – 3,000. And if this happen then we will go back to square one.
“The Registrar does not listen to reasons and advice; he does whatever he likes without input from the sizeable and critical stakeholders. At this junction, we think that the Nigeria Shippers’ Council (NSC) should not stay aloof; they should come out and assist to call the Registrar to order. The NSC midwifed the CRFFN from its infant stage to this level, therefore, they have the right to come in and correct some of the abnormality they created under Capt. Adamu Biu and that of the present Registrar. We opine that the Registrar is bereft of ideas, due to old age, as he is due for retirement by September 2018, if this record has not been tampered with by now”.
The IFFCB boss however suggested that five (5) persons each be allotted to the bigger associations like NAGAFF and ANLCA, one (1) person each to the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) and National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) while two (2) persons be allotted to the CRFFN training arm-Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers.
“Then the CRFFN goes to each Association and elect those numbers to represent them in the Governing Council”, he added, saying that with the above arrangement, there would be no rancour and the attendant logistic problem that would arise when the election holds in Abuja.
“We feel that if the stakeholders are consulted in this election matter, good reasoning would prevail. It is also important that the advice and intendment of this write up is without prejudice to all I have said. The five slots of each association of the election can be made to be zonal, if it is so desire.
“This release is being forwarded to NAGAFF/ANLCA/AREFFN/NAFFAC/NCMDLCA and IFN for their information and necessary follow up. The crowd control in this elections if not checked in Abuja may result to public disorder. I do advice”, he concluded.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @reportersinfo and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
