…Calls for election within 3 months
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase has ordered that the collection of the Practitioners’ Operating Fees by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) be suspended pending the election and constitution of the Governing Council members for the Council.
In a well attended meeting between the Inspector-General of Police and the leadership of the various freight forwarding associations operating under the CRFFN at Abuja, the Inspector-General of Police represented by Assistant inspector-General of Police, AIG Adeniji also ordered that election into the council be conducted within the next three months to pave way for the smooth running of the Council.
According to a release issued by the Publicity Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr. Kayode Farinto, the meeting further resolved that all members and associations of the Council should pay their annual practicing fees so as to afford the Council the funds to conduct the election.
The IGP further directed that the Alternative Dispute Resolution be explored in resolving all the matter connected to the council and its membership.
The release noted that the Registrar of the CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe while stating the Council’s side of the story accused ANLCA of reneging on their agreement having been a signatory to the agreement on the collection of the practitioners’ Operating Fees adding that he (Jukwe) further alleged that a group, International Freight Forwarders led by Chief Peter Obih and a former Chairman of the council, Mr. Onyemelukwe was an illegal body as it was not an accredited body by the CRFFN.
“In conclusion, all the parties agreed that there cannot be Council without the Governing Council hence AIG Adeniji ruled that there should be election into the Governing Council within 3 months and members and associations should pay their annual practicing fees so that it will be used to conduct the election while the issue of POF collection be suspended till there is an election of the Governing Council for CRFFN”, the release read in part.
Reacting, the National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke said that he was not going to issues with those seeking popularity through the media rather, NAGAFF would wait for the outcome from the Ministry of Transport within the shortest period possible to know the direction the issue was tended.
He said,” We expect the Ministry’s official statement which will be out today or tomorrow. I don’t believe in giving false information like ANLCA. I don’t use to give false to the general public. If I give you any piece of information, I believe it is something you can verify any other place. I learnt that a pronouncement will be sent across to the associations in order to solve the problem rather than going to join the issue with outrageous persons”.
Recall that a group of four freight forwarding associations under the auspices of the Concerned Accredited Freight Forwarding Associations (CAFFA) had petitioned the inspector-General of Police to investigate the alleged assault on the officials of the CRFFN who were on an official assignment to Seme Borders stations by persons suspected to be members of ANLCA on which strength the IGP invited the associations for a meeting at Abuja with the intent of unraveling the true situation.
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