Dr. Boniface Aniebonam (Founder NAGAFF)
The processes and procedures of this election seem not to be the best. In the last election, it took almost three months to prepare for the elections, but this time around it is just one month. How do we get the best from it? I expect that the Council should have made consultations before they go into all this. There is nothing that stops anyone now who has the money to win the election; who is not even a practitioner. So what is the essence of regulation and control? CRFFN is a regulatory agency of the government to regulate and control the practice of freight forwarders. I think that the need for consultation is very critical.
Babatunde Mukaila (National Secretary, ANLCA)
We need to put the record straight. This election and the electoral guidelines did not stipulate association. If you are a registered freight forwarder and you are interested in being a member of the Governing Council, then throw your cap into the ring. However, some of our members who have made it known to us as bonafide freight forwarders have shown interest. Let’s play the game and see what happens.
Festus Ukwu (Secretary-General NCMDLCA)
Concerning the elections, the accredited associations have met and agreed on the formula of slots. Also, taking the election to Abuja is not acceptable. We are of the opinion that every association must have a representative. The CRFFN is a governing body for accredited associations and freight forwarding agencies. Therefore, every association is supposed to be represented in the governing board. So the associations should present representatives agreed by their Memorandum of Understanding. Government should not come and force everything upon us.
Dipo Olayoku (General Secretary, NAGAFF)
The template for elections in Nigeria under INEC regulations and control should be the basis for other elections in Nigeria. If CRFFN who has the mandate to regulate and control the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria continues to allow avoidable irregularities in its election into the Governing Board, it shall be most unfortunate and regrettable. There must be time for everything including registration of new members. Therefore, every new registration from the time “Public Notice” was issued for the purposes of election should be voided.
Godfrey Nwosu (APFFLON Chairman,Apapa)
I have a problem with those who are intending to go into the board. Where the problem lies is the issue of people who are now juggling to jump into the board of the CRFFN. Some people now believe that it is all about money. What is being paraded today are people who are jumping from one job to another, who are not core professionals. Before now, we were having allocations given to associations to go a bring in people into the association and that was why we never got it right. Today APFFLON with the efforts of others have succeeded in ensuring that elections will be conducted based on the registered practitioners or CRFFN members with an RFFI number.
Stanley Ezenga (PRO, NAGAFF)
The CRFFN election scheduled for next month is long overdue. The guidelines are okay but the area where we are having challenges is voters going to vote in Abuja. We know that 95 percent of freight forwarders run their business in the West. We have a sizable number in the South East and very few in the northern borders. The logic whereby the election is moved to Abuja is what we cannot fathom. We know that for effective and all-encompassing incorporation, this election should hold in Lagos to save the voters the risk associated with travels at this time; looking at the prevailing security challenges we have all over the country. We believe that the election should hold in Lagos.
John Oforbike (ANLCA Chieftain)
CRFFN has deviated from the Act that enacted them from the beginning. It is unfortunate that people are hitting themselves with all kinds of bribery to get into the council for their personal interest. Some people are being extorted and paying huge amounts to people just to get into the Council. The aims and objectives of the Council have been defeated and hijacked for personal interests. Government should look at the issue and disqualify these people and bring in fresh ones and ensure that the election is a free and fair one.
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