… Urges CRFFN Registrar to respect open contest stance of Minister
The Congregation of Registered Freight Forwarding Professionals of Nigeria (CREFFPON) has uncovered the clandestine moves by the five accredited freight forwarding associations to perpetuate the 6:6:1:1:1 sharing formula introduced during the election of freight forwarders into the Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in 2018.
Recall that the freight forwarders were allotted 15 seats out of the 32 seats available in the Governing Council of CRFFN by the Act establishing it. In 2018, the five accredited freight forwarding associations namely; the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) and the Nigerian Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) agreed to share the 15 seats allotted to the freight forwarders among them according to their numerical strength.
While NAGAFF and ANLCA take six seats each, the three other associations considered to be of lesser strength take one seat each so as to ensure that all the associations are represented in the Governing Council hence the 6:6:1:1:1 sharing formula.
However, in a statement issued in Lagos this morning, the Desk Officer, CREFFPON, Comrade Edwin Chukwudire Obi stated that “Information reaching the CREFFPON desk as incidented by its data collation, monitoring and intelligent group shows that there is a further clandestine moves aimed at perpetuating the 6:6:1:1:1 sharing formula arrangement of the accredited associations introduced in 2018.”
According to Obi, the purported emergency visit today to the CRFFN Registrar at his Lagos office was meant to convey two resolutions reached by the accredited associations.
He said, “The delegates are to fore mostly, remind the Registrar of a certain existing document in the realm of 6:6:1:1:1 position and income sharing agreements entered into by the accredited associations two years ago. Secondly, the delegates are to convey its joint resolutions with regards to upholding the selected election procedures via a sharing formula of 6:6:1:1:1 introduced in 2018. Thirdly, the Registrar is to serve as a channel for onward transmission of same to the Honorable Minister of Transportation through the ministry permanent Secretary.
“It is important to remind the Registrar that adoption of this selection pattern – (election sharing formula of 6:6:1:1:1) by his predecessor made his tenure to be rated as monumental failure.
“Wherefore, the CREFFPON wishes to advise the Registrar to put into consideration its professional background first in any arms twisting arrangements or permutations, the Registrar is further urged to maintain an unbiased umpire and respect the free and open contest position of the Minister.
“It is most regrettable to observe that while it is easier and most convenient for the accredited associations to unite themselves for election purposes, the same cannot be said where it matters most for them to unite towards tackling the multifarious challenges bedeviling the freight forwarding profession and practitioners alike.”
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