The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has assured that it will discuss with the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to request for Police protection for freight forwarders who are registered with the associations accredited by the CRFFN.
The National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche who made this known in a statement obtained by our correspondent in Lagos on Monday said that the Registrar of the Council, Barr. Samuel Nwakohu gave the assurance during a meeting he held with them yesterday.
In his words, “In the meeting we had this (yesterday) morning with the Registrar of CRFFN, he has agreed to link up with the Hon. Minister of Transportation who shall request for Police protection for only the freight forwarders who are registered with the associations accredited by the CRFFN.”
Uche however drew the attention of the freight forwarders to the latest directive issued on Sunday 29th March, 2020 by President Muhammadu Buhari to the effect that all seaports in Lagos should remain operational in order to continue to handle essential goods and services within the 14 days total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with effect from 11pm on Monday 30th March, 2020.
He therefore reminded them of the core function of a freight forwarder as the barometer of economic activities in ensuring timely and efficient movement of goods from point of origin to destination adding that they should see the development as a call to duty and the need to demonstrate their strategic role as the only link that brought all the parties together in ensuring the sustenance of cargo flow in the management of the logistics supply chain.
He added that “the situation at our seaports at the moment is a peculiar one due to the perennial traffic gridlocks and the attendant congestion which may worsen if adequate measures including continuous port operations are not sustained.”
“NAGAFF wishes to state here that those who do not have genuine business to transact at the ports should stay way out of the ports while those who have businesses to carry out should deploy professionalism by adhering to rules of engagement as it relates to trade practices.
“Accordingly, it is expected that in the course of our duties, we shall all continue to adopt all the precautionary and preventive measures issued by the NCDC to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“NAGAFF hereby urges all port users to guide against any action capable of whittling down the efforts of the government in curbing the spread of the deadly disease”, he added.
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