Thirteen years after it fully commenced operation, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), yesterday commenced the issuance of membership certificates to registered freight forwarders with the Vice President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), Mr. Ejike Metu and the Acting National Secretary, Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), Ichie Frank Obiekezie collecting theirs.
Speaking at a brief ceremony to mark the issuance at the Council’s headquarters in Lagos, the Registrar of the Council, Barr. Samuel Nwakohu revealed that the Council had been working on the certificate issue for a while now even as he explained that the Act establishing it provided that CRFFN must keep the register of freight forwarders.
He explained that since it was a provision of the Act, they can’t just keep an ordinary register as according to him, the freight forwarders pay dues hence the Council needed to give them something that was statutorily recognized to show that indeed, “this man or this company is a registered freight forwarder and that is exactly what we have done this morning.”
The Registrar informed that out of the number of freight forwarders on the CRFFN books, about 3, 400 certificates were ready for collection adding that they had asked some notable people in the industry to come and pick their certificates hence the presence of the three leaders of the registered freight forwarding associations.
He said, “My big brother, Dr. (Boniface) Aniebonam was also supposed to come but we agreed that if for any reason he cannot make it, I promised him I will collect his on his behalf and thereafter send them to him. I am happy it has happened, we will make sure that everybody who is entitled to one gets it and for the people whose own are not ready, we will work very hard to make sure that they get theirs. As we access funds, we will be able to get them done”, he said.
While stating that the certificate covered from 2009 up to three years ago (2018), he, however, posited that only those who had cleared their dues with the Council and whose data were up to date would be issued with the certificates even as he insisted that those who are indebted to the Council in any way would not get theirs.
He further informed that just like the Naira and the Dollar, the certificates had security features which would make it difficult to be faked adding that if eventually faked, one would actually know the difference as they were unique.
On why issuance of the certificates took so long, he said, “I think there was a problem in between; my understanding was that the initial ones that were printed had a problem. So, they had to stop and there was no appropriation in respect of it but in 2017, they got appropriation and it was procured out. The procurement process took a while and they are just ready now.”
Speaking on the significance of the certificate to freight forwarders, the Registrar submitted, “The significance is like registering a company without having an evidence to show that you really registered the company. So, the Act says you must be registered freight forwarders. This is that legal instrument that allows you to carry on the business of freight forwarding.
“To a large extent, I would say I feel fulfilled that this milestone has been accomplished but we must sustain it. It must be sustainable so that what happened the last time should not be allowed to happen next time.”
Speaking shortly after collecting his certificate, the Vice President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, Dr. Kayode Farinto stated that he was happy the certificate eventually came as it legitimized whatever they were doing at the port.
He observed that “Whoever claims to be freight forwarder and you are not recognized by this CRFFN is touting at the port. So, this legitimizes whatever we are doing at the port. So, I am happy about it and I want to commend the Registrar and his management team for this laudable achievement and also advise them that this certificate should be given from time to time particularly to many members.”
Also speaking, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, AREFFN, Mr. Ejike Metu stated that the certificate had taken his membership of the Council to the next level saying, “I was standing with one leg before now, I have my certificate with me, my two legs are on the ground”, even as he prayed that “in no distant time, every member will be issued with one so that we can separate the wheat from the chaff.”
He further said, “Particularly for me, I was at the UNILAG, collected that other one and now I am collecting this one. Initially, I thought it was thumb printing but now they have told me it has security features. I am going to guard like he admonished us to guard it jealously. I am elated and I say a very big thank you to the Registrar, the management team and the CRFFN. Thank you.”
On his part, the Acting National Secretary, AREFFN, Ichie Frank Obiekezie said, “On my own part, it shows that something is happening in CRFFN. We are going to put it on our various platforms so that it will encourage others to know that something is actually happening because before now, some people feel that not much is happening. We would have asked why it is coming now but it has come. Some people thought it will never come but it has come. So, I want to encourage them to continue to do what is to be done in order to deepen the presence of this Council in the port industry.”
Photo: Registrar, Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Barr. Samuel Nwakohu.
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