For the obvious reason of its being the nerve that binds so many players, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has always enjoyed a generous attention of our editorial board.
Its creation by an Act of the National Assembly gave hope to freight forwarding practice and its practitioners, so a lot was expected of it from inception. The CRFFFN was created to enhance the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria.
For the obvious reason of its being the nerve that binds so many players, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has always enjoyed a generous attention of our editorial board.
Its creation by an Act of the National Assembly gave hope to freight forwarding practice and its practitioners, so a lot was expected of it from inception. The CRFFFN was created to enhance the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria.
Sadly, those who fought for and ensured that the Council was born would never have envisaged that the council would shortly after its birth, be faced with life-threatening issues, such as have forced it not to have a governing council for almost two years, since the last one headed by Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju served out its term.
And since its creation in 2007, the CRFFN has known little or no peace. Its pioneer governing council spent ample time brokering peace between it and some individuals and between it and some institutions.
One of these ‘wars’ was the one it fought with the factional national president, National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents, Mr Lucky Amiwero. Mr Amiwero had dragged the CRFFN, the minister of transport as well as the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to court over allegations of irregularities in the conduct of elections into the governing council in 2008. There has been another governing council since then.
The CRFFN also at one time had issues with the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) over interpretation of the Act which established the Council.
There was also the face-off with an unregistered, body called, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (IFFFA). The IFFFA had in a letter to International Federation of Freight Forwarding Associations (FIATA) allegedly instilled fear in FIATA, saying that the safety of its officials who were being expected for a train-the-trainer’s programme could not be guaranteed in Nigeria.
When he held sway as the chairman of the governing council from the pioneer chairman; Mr Tony Nwabunike, the immediate past chairman; Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju, along with the Council’s registrar; Sir Mike Jukwe and other members of the governing council demonstrated uncommon ability to steer the ship of the council.
The then-governing council was able to contain the various antics and intrigues which freight forwarders and freight forwarding associations are known for.
In fact, the Council was enjoying an apparently blissful relationship with all its constituents, until the peace was disrupted by the directive from the minister of transport; Senator Idris Umar to the effect the CRFFN could start collecting transaction fees on all imports into the country.
Since the approval became public knowledge, peace has eluded the freight forwarding family; it is so bad that members of the same association no longer trust one another.
It is a surprise that all efforts to end the feud have failed, including the intervention by the minister of transport.
There have been serious and genuine efforts to reconstitute the governing council. We are aware that the CRFFN is working hard to put logistics in place for this.
And apparently aware of this too, freight forwarding associations have been strategising about how to have an edge, through enhanced membership in the register of freight forwarders. It is this register that the CRFFN will use as voters register.
So, when a group called the attention of the Council to what it called an increase in the number of unqualified persons being registered by the CRFFN. It also expressed worry that, if the trend was not checked, the CRFFN would be infiltrated by touts and miscreants.
"The entire clearing, freight forwarding community has noticed with dismay the massive registration of market men, garage boys, street urchins and all manners of people at the CRFFN office" "The perpetrators are doing so in view of the forth coming election into the board of the governing council”.
We quite commend the quick assurances that were given by the Council’s Registrar; Sir Mike Jukwe, who stated that, merely applying for membership of the CRRFN does not confer automatic membership on such an applicant.
He had explained further that, to be registered as a freight forwarder, the applicant must have any qualifications that are well-spelt out in the CRRRFN Act.
As a media organisation, we are also aware of the recent mad rush for CRFFN membership by one of the registered freight forwarding associations. The association curiously insisted in its on-going elections that registration with the CRFN is a pre-condition for franchise among its members.
While we have nothing against the association’s apparently unsolicited membership drive for the CRFFN, we also think its smirks of deceit to engage in that act, even when it’s obvious that majority of those who were being coerced are not qualified to be registered as freight forwarders.
It is noteworthy that the essence of the coercion and forced registration is pecuniary; it is yet to be known how proceeds from the registration were shared. This is against the background of the fact that the Council’s registrar has affirmed that it was not obligatory to register all applicants.
“Registration with CRFFN as a Freight Forwarders is in accordance with Section 11(2) and 11(4a) as well as Section 4 of the CRFFN Act (Registration of Freight Forwarders) Regulations, 2010 made pursuant to the Act.” “Anyone can apply for registration as alleged, but the application is NOT registration. All applicants are meant to come for verification with originals of the following requirements.”
For those who are apprehensive that, the ‘mad rush’ for registration will confer any numerical strength on an association, we think the assurance of the Registrar should suffice.
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