Frank Aliakor (Clearing Agent)
For several years now we have not had a chairman or governing council of the CRFFN, it is long overdue, it was because of the differences between the freight forwarding associations, nobody wants to listen to the other, and the CRFFN cannot function without the governing council. Allowing the Registrar to be running the CRFFN is not healthy for the sector. Unless election is conducted into the governing council, the CRFFN would not be able to function properly and checkmate activities of the freight forwarding associations. There is need for them to revisit the accreditation of associations, there are those who are believed to have been registered without meeting the necessary qualifications like; spread, democratic system of governance and a functional secretariat. However, members of the board were just appointed by President Buhari, there is still need for a proper election.
Osita Patrick Chukwu (Chairman, IFFA Apapa port)
The constitution of the CRFFN board is illegal because the CRFFN already has a case at the court, this matter borders on the constitution of CRFFN and ought to have been ironed out before the appointment of anyone into the board, the board set up is now going to be a member of that existing court case, the person that advised the president on the board appointments should have suggested settling out of court and let all the aggrieved associations that are in court come together and settle, it is after this that you can now appoint board, by so doing, nobody can take them to court again. The CRFFN cannot be different from other professional councils.
Chief Increase Uche (NAGAFF)
I don’t want to make any comment on that i cannot not say for now if that move is in the right direction because, we don’t know the mindset of the federal government but at the appropriate time we will make comment.
Babatunde Mukaila (Former Chair, ASECO of ANLCA)
Every new opportunity ushers in a new era, I believe the people that are coming into the CRFFN board must be worth their onions before they were appointed and I believe they are coming to deliver and not to fail, it would be our own responsibility as stakeholders to guide them right to what we expect them to be or what to do. I have no doubt that the board will succeed and we also should be up and doing to guide them so that they will know why they were appointed and what is expected of them. So, it is a new beginning for CRFFN and I know this would usher in a lot of new opportunity devoid of the previous bickering and competition among associations.
Charles Ubah (Licensed Customs Agent)
As far as I am concerned, there is no CRFFN board yet, because elections into the board have not been held. So, where did they get these board members?
We practitioners are yet to be called to come and elect members of the board.
The appointment of the board by the president, is it in accordance with the Act that established CRFFN? Until proper election is conducted, they are wasting their time.
Prince Olayiwola Shittu (ANLCA)
We are not saying anything about CRFFN, we (ANLCA) will have a meeting after that we will know what to say about that.
Chukwuka Ani Agubamah (President, NAFFAC)
I don't belong to school of pessimists. Let the board be, work and produce good results. I hope all of us who were in the Governing Council and freight forwarders in general would give the board a chance and support it to work.
As to whether the board will be able to work without an election, please refer to Act 16, 2007 and find out for yourself whether they can with Government nominees from Nigerian Shippers Council, Nigerian Customs Service, NPA, Nigerian Railway Corporation, NACCIMA, Ministries of Transport, Education and Finance form a quorum. Others are NCAA, nominees from Institution of Higher Learning, all totaling 16.
Dr. Eugene Nweke (Freight Forwarder)
What I think is that they need reconfirmation that CRFFN is still an agency of the government. And if it is an agency of the government it has the right to constitute a committee. So this appointment further confirmed that CRFFN is still an agency of the government. Now, as an agency of government the government has to appoint boss into it because for the past eight years now the CRFFN has been under the management of ministers of transportation. The minister has been the one supervising it, so we want to see a situation where the board that has been constituted will see what they want to do and do it. They will now see that the election is conducted and professionals have to be elected into the council and others that can be representing the government.
Rev Emmanuel Agubanze (NAGAFF)
In the act of the council 2007 there is a provision for representation from the six geo political zones of the country. In the former governing council, there were people that were appointed to represent the six geo political zones of the country which the former national president of NAGAFF, Dr. Eugene Nweke was a member from of southeast zone and so many other members. So it has always been there; what needs to be done now is that the government having appointed those people into the council should ensure that the election into the governing council of CRFFN is conducted. We are waiting and ready for the time and go ahead from the government for us to conduct the election. So it is a right move in the right direction.
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