·“There is no okada man that voted here that is not a fully registered member of CRFFN” – Tanko
Oluyinka Onigbinde
Shipping Position Daily findings have revealed how the just-concluded elections into the governing council of the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in the Western zone, which held in Lagos last Wednesday were marred by gross irregularities, including vote-buying, printing of fake identity cards and engagement of miscreants who actively participated in the elections.
Our correspondent who was on ground at the election ground confirmed that miscreants in their numbers were brought-in in three Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) buses to cast their votes, this is even as identity cards were given to miscreants to impersonate as freight forwarders, while some were openly seen demanding for money before they could cast their votes.
Our correspondents who monitored the elections was told that, a machine for printing identity cards was seized from one of the rooms at the command guest house Apapa where the election took place.
In another instance, some miscreants were seen openly dragging a contestant to pay them their money after they had cast their votes for him. The contestant was however reluctant to pay, stating that some of the miscreants he brought voted for other candidates and as such, he was not ready to pay.
Our correspondent was even approached by some hoodlums who demanded that they be given money to cast their votes for his candidates. On interrogation, our correspondent gathered that a sum of N10,000 was given to each of the miscreants who came to cast their votes.
Taking maximum advantage of the situation, the miscreants were heard saying loudly that: “It is who pay us better that has our votes”.
And when our correspondent asked one of them which of the associations he belonged to, he confirmed that he and his colleagues belong to none of the five registered freight forwarding associations and do not know anything about freight forwarding. One of them said, they were only approached to come vote and get paid.
An enraged freight forwarder told our correspondent that, “Right from the day before yesterday and yesterday, we have seen a lot of anomalies. We have seen okada riders, those selling tomatoes and pepper claiming to be part of the CRFFN. It is shocking to me that people who have nothing to do with the Airway Bill or Bill of Laden are now part of the voting process”.
Confirming that majority of those who cast their votes at the election were miscreants who do not have anything to do with freight forwarding, a Deputy President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) who was also on ground at the election venue informed our correspondent that 70% of those who participated in the election were okada riders and miscreants from Mushin and Oshodi, even as he described the election as a ‘money bag affair’.
According to him: “70 per cent of the people here are miscreants from Oshodi, Mushin and other areas, we observed that some insiders from CRFFN printed receipts of CRFFN members in Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu and now issue receipts in those names and allow them to come and do verification here. But because there is no arrangement or screening, it became an all comers’ affair. Nobody is able to identify who is who. These miscreants are here electing their principals. It is more like a money bag affair. It is so poorly organised, but what can one do?
“If I was one of the candidates, I would have stopped this election. There is a possibility for litigation if it is the wish of the candidate, but I am not one of the candidates.
“I think there should have been a more rigorous screening of who and who to participate in the election. They just picked people in their offices. We even observed that some of the organizers are even telling the electorates whom to vote for and by elections, such a thing had totally discredited the election” he said.
Also speaking on the conduct of the election, one of the observers, Mr Emmanuel Onyeme a member of ANLCA who was also on ground said that right from the beginning of the accreditation process, there have been a lot of anomalies.
“We have seen okada riders, tomatoes and pepper sellers are now part of CRFFN as of today, it is a shocking experience to me.
“People who don’t even know what is “Airway Bill” that has to do with the airport, or the “Bill of Laden” that has to do with the seaport, you can see they are part of the people voting.
“I am an agent for one of the candidates contesting and I have seen a lot. I am seeing a large turnout compared to the last elections” he said.
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When confronted over allegations of bringing touts and okada riders to come vote for him at the election the Chairman 100% compliance team of NAGAFF, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim said the CRFFN is not just for freight forwarders only, he said the council is open to even transporters, even as he challenged those shouting foul to seek redress in the Court.
“Some people said we brought touts and okada riders to the election. We need to go back to the drawing board and ask for the meaning of CRFFN.
“Also, CRFFN said registered voters must have at least two years experience. Is it small money to register someone yearly? A transporter can be a member of CRFFN. They are also part of the logistics chain. It is not only freight forwarders that are part of CRFFN. Why is it that the Ministry of Transportation is the one in charge of the Council and not the Ministry of Finance? There is no person who is an okada man that voted here that is not a fully registered member of CRFFN. We followed the law and guidelines. Anybody can say anything they like. Definitely, when you lose the election you must complain. That is how elections look like. If you have any fact about any irregularities about the election they should go to court to complain” he said.
Speaking on the conduct of the election a Director at CRFFN on ground Dr. Alban Igwe in his reaction said there is no 100% free and fair election in the world he argued that the election is moderately free and fair.
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