The Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFFN) has called on the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigerian (CRFFN); Mr Mike Jukwe not to use any other freight forwarders register order than the one compiled in 2012 for the purpose of the coming elections into the governing board of the Council.
Speaking with Shipping Position Daily last week, President of AREFFN; Dr. Frank Ukor alleged that some sister associations, including the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) have all started mobilizing to register fake persons as freight forwarders with the sole aim of cornering major positions on the CRFFN board during the elections.
Ukor noted that the only authentic register of freight forwarders was the one compiled in 2012, which according to him was not compiled at that time for election purpose. He stressed that in order to have a free and fair election; this register should be used for the coming elections.
“The first register is the one that is genuine, subsequent ones should be jettisoned, a lot of people are in the Council now because people want to use them for election, if they want a free and fair election, the people that actually registered in 2012 are the genuine ones, when they registered back then, it was not for election purposes” he said.
A copy of the freight forwarders register sighted by Shipping Position Daily last week in Lagos had 516 registered corporate members, while individual registered members are 1,954. Some of these individuals also doubled as corporate members of the Council.
Dr. Ukor expressed worry that just recently there has been a mad rush by some associations to register more persons with the CRFFN because of the elections.
“NAGAFF is now advertising and calling for people to come and register with CRFFN through them, NAGAFF wants to take over the CRFFN, if they register all these people, they would dominate and take the greater part of the positions in the council, subsequently, whatever Aniebonam (NAGAFF Founder) says is law, this is what he wants, so that he can take over the council”
During the first and second Council, Ukor said that most freight forwarders at that time were not well-sensitized. According to him, the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) had at that time adopted the style NAGAFF is trying to use now. He alleged that a member of the CRFFN governing council and top member of ANLCA, Chief Peter Obi “used IFFA (International Freight Forwarders Association) members to dominate the Council. Most of IFFA members are also ANLCA members”
“Another area we are going to have a problem is whether they are going to use companies or individuals for the coming elections” he said.
Dr. Ukor however noted that many of the people that own licenses in freight forwarding are customs officers and they are not registered with the CRFFN.
He argued that the council should make the election strictly for freight forwarders who have been practicing for five years. He noted that the best way to have peace in the CRFFN is for all associations to have representatives on the board of the CRFFN.
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