Apparently bowing to pressure from freight forwarding associations, the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has confirmed that elections into its Governing Council have been postponed. A new date is yet to be fixed.
Confirming the postponement to our correspondent last weekend, CRFFN’s Registrar Sir Mike Jukwe hinted that the shift in date was as a result of series of meetings the Council has had with stakeholders. He also confirmed that a new date would soon be announced.
There are unconfirmed reports that the election which was expected to hold on May 16 may now hold in June, 2018.
The postponement also coincided with emergence of the first set of names of contestants who have already indicated interests vying for seats in the Council.
Shipping Position Daily last week learnt that the CRFFN’s former Vice Chairman, and President of International Freight Forwarding
Association(IFFA); Dr. Sam Onyemelukwe is trying to stage a comeback, while another former member of the CRFFN governing council, Chief Peter Obi has also been said to be interested in contesting.
Our correspondent learnt that, also joining the league is a new entrant, Prince Ozo Chukwura who was recently reappointed as the Chairman of Audit Committee of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA).
Coincidentally, however all those who have so far the interested candidates are also members of the International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA).
Confirming this to Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week, a chairman of IFFA, Sunny Nnebe also said that there was a meeting between the IFFA and ANLCA recently and that ANLCA has pleaded for IFFA and to join its vote with ANLCA in other to clinch a position on the council.
Nnebe said: "Two of my BOT members are contesting; Prince Ozo Chukwura and Chief Peter Obi are contesting and for reasons beyond the NECOM they have had to postpone the elections now because many other people are also interested in coming onboard to vie for positions, I also know that my President, Dr Sam Onyemelukwe is also eyeing a seat on the council"
"He has been the vice chairman before and I guess he is still looking for ways to come back again"
"We have had meetings with ANLCA and they have asked that we should match our own slot with their own, but if we do that, we would no longer be representing IFFA", he said.
Our correspondent learnt that the last minute move was to achieve a peaceful and acceptable election process.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, in the guidelines released by the Council, about 26 new member who incidentally must be registered and practicing freight forwarders were to be elected on May 16, 2018 in Abuja.
A new Governing Council of the CRFFN was also expected to be inaugurated in Abuja on May 25, 2018.
Already the CRFFN has appointed Governing Council members, they are: Donatu Ozoemena, Benson Edosomwan, Abubakar Tsanni, Hassan Jonga, Senator Bisi Oyewo and Otunba Moshood Tijani.
In the now-suspended guidelines, nomination form was to have been made available from Monday, 23rd April to Friday 4th May, 2018, while “collection and submission of completed Nomination Forms was be within two weeks from 9am to 4pm on Mondays to Fridays at CRFFN Offices in Apapa–Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja”.
Screening of candidates for the election was expected to hold between Monday, 7th to Wednesday, 9th May, 2018
Display of contestants ‘first list’ was to be on Friday, 11th May, 2018, while the display of contestants ‘final list’ was to be on Monday, 14th May, 2018
Sources close to the council confirmed that efforts are being made to avoid a repeat of the mistakes of the past, achieve a smoother process that will be seen to be transparent to all.
A previous election of the Governing Board was marred by litigation and allegation of mass rigging where members of only one registered association allegedly hijacked almost all the seats.
The Council’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Chinyere Uromta said last week that work is ongoing on the election. She said further details will be released by the council soon
Uromta was silent on the number of candidates that have shown interest in the positions for which elections will be conducted.
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