… Seek review of accredited freight forwarding associations
As the two weeks ultimatum given by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani to the freight forwarders to come up with the modalities for their election draws near, the Concerned Independent Contestants in the forthcoming election of the freight forwarders into the governing council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) have written the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi urging him to go ahead and direct the conduct of the election to elect the fifteen (15) freight forwarders so as to properly constitute the Governing Council.
The Concerned Independent Contestants, in the letter signed by Fwdr. Chukwuemeka Godfrey Nwosu and made available to our correspondent on Saturday stated that they read online “the unfortunate and weak barking echoing from the table of some industry political parties in the freight forwarding subsector of the maritime industry, who chose to codename themselves as registered associations under the CRFFN.”
Nwosu alleged that these “political parties”, in their attempt to hijack the forthcoming election arose from a meeting where they x-rayed the bitter truth and counseling dished out to them by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry during the recent stakeholders meeting at Eko Hotels in Lagos, found it difficult to accept the reality of the moment as it were, especially in the context of the provisions of Act 16 2007.
While further alleging that the registered associations had threatened to back out of the forthcoming CRFFN election together with their members if the Transportation Ministry continued to violate the provisions of the Act, he, however, insisted that the allegation of violation of the provisions of the Act 16 2007 purely was a case of the “pot calling the kettle black” as themselves were in breach of the provisions of CRFFN Act 16 2007.
He said, “Honorable Minister, what is known in the CRFFN Act via Regulation 2010 is the Accredited Freight Forwarding Associations in Nigeria, the CRFFN does not have the legislative powers to register associations.
“Presently, there exists in the freight forwarding sub-sector of the maritime industry, not less than 20 different freight forwarding related Associations and groupings all duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission. The CRFFN can only register individual practicing freight forwarders as Practitioners and not freight forwarding Association. Reason for the choice of the words “accredited freight forwarding associations” is obvious in this regards.
“This so-called Political parties masquerading as registered associations with CRFFN, devised a political arithmetic Coded 6:6:1:1:1 for the purpose of rigging the CRFFN Governing Council Election 2021.
“Honorable Minister, it is an irony these industry Political leaders are vehemently turning a professionally driven arena into a political theatre even doing so with impunity. The need to wield Professional hammer to instill professional discipline promptly cannot be over emphasize.
“In furtherance to the actualization of their political arithmetic coded 6:6:1:1: the parties brought their nightmares to the fore, when it noted that ‘And for the records, it is important that we inform the Hon. Minister of Transportation that all of the so called individual contestants are members of NAGAFF. Dr. Eugene Nweke and Dr. Increase Uche for instance, are former and sitting president of NAGAFF respectively. Both of them have been members of the council board.’
“The truth is that, they are merely afraid of this individuals Professional disposition in the industry, especially in their insistence to evolve and sustain Professionalism in the freight forwarding profession other than ambushing and tactically resisting every regulatory policy that will checkmate the excesses of Accredited associations especially in their current posture of hyping and parading themselves as above regulatory subjection. Funny enough, 85% of stooges being fronted in this political arithmetic are all seeking for a reelection into the Governing Council, so who is fooling who.
“Honorable Minister, permits us, to set the records straight, sir, for all intents, character and regulatory purposes, the Act 16, 2007 does not organize nor recognize the accredited associations as party to contest or vote in any CRFFN Governing Council Election.
“The Act does not mince words by its choice of explanation in stating that an election shall be organized to elect the 15 registered freight forwarders, whose names are registered in the Register of freight forwarders in Nigeria, and not for the freight forwarding accredited associations with the CRFFN.
“In their usual display of arrogance, with a profound mentality of over Lords, they are so confidence and preemptive of the Electoral Committee screening outcome, hence, they went ahead to flood the online industry platforms, ports & terminal gates with their re-elect campaign posters.
“The pertinent question from the concerned independent contestants is, did the electoral committee conduct a secret screening exercise behind the independent contestants thereby giving preferences to the stooges over and above the independent contestants?
“Honorable Minister, we wish to urge you to support the permanent Secretary in her public statement and promise that the Governing Council election shall be conducted in the letter and provision of the Act 16 2007.
“Honorable Minister, please do not take this unjustified ranting by parties who defaults in their accreditation and annual subscription fees.”
Nwosu, who is the Chairman, African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Tincan Island chapter, however, informed the Honorable Minister of a regulation passed in 2012 by the former Governing Council awaiting official gazette by the legislature.
According to him, the regulation was to give birth to the Federation of Nigeria Freight Forwarders’ Association whose essence was that upon the birth of this federation, would be the single mouthpiece or voice of the freight forwarders in Nigeria in addition to prepare to take its appropriate place and status at FIATA thereby replacing the CRFFN registration with the FIATA which was done on temporary basis.
“The Federation is all inclusive, but the last Governing Council dominated by the stooges of the industry political parties ignored this goal just to ensure that other associations don’t smell accreditation of the CRFFN”, he explained.
He reminded the Honorable Minister that the Act provided for accreditation and de-accreditation of associations and corporate institutions register and deregister registered freight forwarders saying, “You may wish to set up an independent committee to review the activities of the accredited associations using the parameter of professional performance indicators.
“Please be decisive and stay resolute in adherence to the provisions of the Act 16 2007. Do not fall for the cheap threats of backing out from the election, go ahead and direct for the conduct of the election of 15 registered freight forwarders into the Governing Council as doing so is fulfilling the provisions of the CRFFN Act”, he concluded.
Photo: Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister Transportation.
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