The new Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni, Friday, said he was determined to sanitize the freight forwarding industry, especially in the area of amending the council’s Act and eliminating foreigners in the cargo clearing processes at the country’s ports and other trade locations.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the headquarters of Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), in Apapa, Lagos, Tsanni, who sought support of the maritime journalists, said he was determined to do his best in ensuring that the freight forwarding industry is strengthened to be able to create millions of jobs for Nigerians.
He said: “We are here to do our best for the industry; to find ways to sanitize the freight forwarding industry improve the capacity of freight forwarders and strengthen the council’s laws to be able to solve the problems and challenges. We believe that by doing this, we will become more effective in our trade and then be able to reduce cargo dwell time in our ports.
“We have met many of the freight forwarding and licensed customs clearing agents associations and we are still visiting other stakeholders to identify with them and ensure that every stakeholder is on the same page to achieve our collective goals.”
The CRFFN boss had in his entourage, other members of the CRFFN’s board, top officials of the council and the National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche who is also a member of the Council.
Also speaking at the visit, Uche hinted that the Practitioners Operations Fees (POF) remained a major source of fund for the council. He also hinted that the council would be working to specifically ensure that no foreigner is seen doing business in customs brokerage circles.
”By grace of God, POF will be the live wire of CRFFN and we are not going to let it die. The freight forwarding industry is so large; a vital industry like freight forwarding that links up all the logistics chain should be able to generate enough funds for itself.
“We may not go back to issues that will lead to controversy, but we will make sure that POF survives and used for the purpose for which it was created,” the NAGAFF boss said.
Earlier, the President of MARAN, Mr. Anya Njoku called on the council to ensure that its doors are open to maritime reporters. He also harped on the need for the CRFFN Act to be amended, “with a view to giving the council some teeth to bite.”
Photo: President of MARAN, Mr. Anya Njoku (left) in a handshake with Chairman CRFFN Governing Council, Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni while Chief Increase Uche and other members of the Council look on.
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