Chief Achike Molokwu (ANLCA Chieftain)
Chief Achike Molokwu (ANLCA Chieftain)
When the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders came out, most of us believed in it seriously. I registered myself and my company from the scratch, the certificate is with me and my personal one is also with me, so you can see that most of us believed in it. But if you look at the Council now, it is funny that the clearing agents invited into it played dirty politics, there was no love among them, you see some coming from ANLCA, Council of Managing Directors, NAGAFF and so on, there was no love among them and this tore the whole thing apart, right now the registrar is finding it difficult to put the pieces together, he does not know his left from his right because whatever he does they always criticize him, recently the Minister of Transport says he is going to reconstitute the board again temporarily to conduct election, we are waiting for them so that we can now vote those who will manage it for us properly.
Davies Chuks Kanikwu (Secr. ANLCA, Tin Can)
The CRFFN grinded itself to the position it is today, it is nobody’s fault and we are not blaming anybody for what happened, the initial people that ran the council were visionless because they do not understand the real purpose of establishing the council and the oversight functions assigned to it and what needed to be done. The second governing Council that came onboard helped in nailing the coffin, they set a criteria for the admittance of freight forwarding associations that they are regulating, but in the cause of registration, so many of those who did not meet the requirement were now the people championing the voices of discord, because they came in there with ulterior motive which is at variance with what the council was set up for. So it is a self-inflicted injury both on the registrar and those that registered the associations.
Isaac Ndukwe (Igbo Maritime Forum)
As an individual, I have lost all hopes in them, though I have not completed my registration with them but what I have seen and heard about them shows that they are not serious, I don't even border about them. Though it is sort of a government agency because it is operating under an Act of Parliament, they are supposed to take the bull by the horn, they are supposed to be a regulatory body that will supervise the freight forwarders and all the associations, but as it is now they are not doing anything, I don't know if the problem is from the ministry of transport, the customs or from the stakeholders.
David Chukwudinma Pius (Freight Forwarder)
The Council has not been working following the dissolution of the board last year. In my own opinion, I will prefer a situation where maritime experts will make up the highest number of members of the board, this is because there are many problems that need to be addressed in this maritime sector, we need experienced people that have what it takes to solve the technical problems. The council has not being working because of the interest of some stakeholders in the industry, you cannot because of your selfish personal interest allow a freight forwarders’ governing body established by an Act of Parliament to die, just because of what will go into your pocket. The ANLCA said they are there to collect subvention fee, NAGAFF says No, the other day, the CG of Customs said that he does not recognize CRFFN and that he only recognize ANLCA. What I am saying is that we cannot because of the interest of money that will go into our pockets; allow a regulating body of freight forwarders to die.
Osita Chukwu Patrick (Stakeholder)
Looking at the present situation, you will agree with me that the Federal Government that allocate funds to its parastatals did not have any provision for the council, therefore it must be funded like every other parastatal. The council needs fund to survive and since the government refuses to allocate fund to the council, this gave rise to its present predicament. Without allocation to the council then it cannot be in existence and for it to bounce back, federal government owe it a duty to fund CRFFN. It is never the fault of anybody but that of the Federal Government and nobody should blame the minister of transport because he is not in a position to splash the council with cash to run the place, same goes to the stakeholders, we should blame ourselves as well rather the federal government because if NPA, NIWA Shippers Council and NIMASA are on the payroll of the government why must CRFFN be on the sideline.
Aare Sani Shittu (BOT ANLCA)
I will say that the registrar of the council should be held responsible for the crisis rocking CRFFN, this is because they are supposed to set standards for the freight forwarding practice in Nigeria, but their headache for now is how to generate revenue. As it is for now the registrar is the one running the show and it is not too good for the council. The man is acting beyond the Act setting up the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) therefore he is the one creating problem for CRFFN.
Andrew Ugwi(ANLCA PTML)
The whole parties that revolve round CRFFN should be held responsible for the problems surrounding CRFFN. There is no need for the council to be in existence because the freight forwarders are all confused with the government directives. The government should strike out CRFFN and make the Nigeria Ports Authority to take charge of the anomalies we have at the ports. The various identity cards that we use at the ports is a problem of its own therefore agents are tired to hear about the CRFFN and the crisis that surrounds it. In the first place, the setting up of CRFFN is more or less a duplication of function because the NPA would have been able to address all what CRFFN was set up to do.
Frank Ukor (AREFFN President)
I must say that there has been sabotage among members of the last committee set up on how to rescue CRFFN because most of us were ready to cooperate, while some are there to frustrate that move and somebody in particular is the cause of the problem we have as regard CRFFN.I would not want to blame anyone, but some people up there are not doing what they are supposed to do in reviving the council.
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