The recent decision of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to finally grant full registration to three freight forwarding associations is yet another controversial decision that the Council has taken.
The recent decision of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to finally grant full registration to three freight forwarding associations is yet another controversial decision that the Council has taken.
Just as its decision to recognise only the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) at the onset of its registration exercise earned it criticisms from stakeholders, the recent decision (after its Council meeting) to grant full status to the trio of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents, the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF) airport-based National Association of Freight Forwarders and Cargo Consolidators (NAFFAC) has sharply divided opinion for and against the Council.
We recall that before ANLCA was given the nod as the only registered association at that time, the CRFFN had initially granted provisional registration to all the associations, except the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents which it later accorded the same privilege.
At that time the decision to exclude the Council of Managing Directors had appeared vindictive; especially since the CRFFN was then having issues with the then- national president, Mr Lucky Amiwero.
The CRFFN had refused to give provisional registration to the Council of Managing Directors, even though its chairman (at that time); Mr Tony Nwabunike admitted that the association scored 100 per cent in the appraisal. According to the CRFFN chairman, the association failed to scale the registration hurdles because of the litigations; even though he failed to give details. He also added that the association failed because some of its members are actually not chief executives of companies.
The CRFFN was later to correct itself as it accorded the same status which it had accorded ANLCA, NAGAFF and others to the Council of Managing Directors.
The CRRFN was to later correct itself by withdrawing the provisional registration status.
The Council’s decision was said to have been based on the recommendations of a verification panel headed by an ANLCA chieftain; Chief Peter Obih. His panel was tasked with the mandate of visiting the secretariat of all the five associations in Lagos and other entry points; especially, land borders and airports.
And justifying the Council’s decision, its chairman was quoted as saying that: “it was the decision of the council that they did not meet the criteria based on the guidelines that were set and which were approved and also made available to all the associations”.
NAGAFF was later singled out of the foursome and granted full registration by CRFFN.
Arguably, NAGAFF, guided by the vision of its founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam and his co-travelers revolutionized activism in freight forwarding; especially with its populist approach to issues and the radicalism of its position on industry issues.
The history of the birth of CRFFN itself can not be complete without a generous mention of the role that NAGAFF played.
Perhaps, the registration of NAGAFF is best justifiable based on the fact of its direct involvement in the struggle to enact the CRFFN Act of 2007.
While that much can be said of NAGAFF, the same can not be said about the three other associations that have now been registered by CRFFN. While the Council of Managing Directors can not lay claim to being a national association in the real sense of it, both NAFFAC and AREFF are borne out of the desire for empire- building by some licensed customs agents.
There are many questions that are begging for answers in the recent CRFFN action. One, why did it sacrifice the guidelines to admit the three associations, two; what does it seek to achieve by bringing the associations, especially when it is obvious that they are all (seriously speaking) break-away from ANLCA and finally, is CRFFN ready to accommodate more empires?
Also burning and threatening the foundation of CRFFN is the recent approval that was granted by the minister of transport; Senator Idris Umar for the council to commence collection of practicing fees on cargoes arriving the country through any of the approved entry points.
There is no doubt that all the actors in the refight forwarding fraternity need money to run their establishments; CRFFN inclusive.
We are aware that the two leading freight forwarding associations; that is, ANLCA and NAGAFF had their internal arrangement through which monies come from their members to the association by way of dues on cargoes cleared.
We are also aware that CRFFN has been made almost redundant because of paucity of funds, even as we are also aware that other regulatory agencies I its genre also collect dues from the practitioners that they superintend.
Last week’s threat by the national president of ANLCA to resign from the governing council of CRFFN and the threat by the association to go to court calls for an urgent need for a roundtable meeting by all those who are involved.
We foresee a spiraling effect where in NAGAFF may also join the campaign, and at the end CRFFN may be fighting the practitioners that it was created to protect and regulate.
We are of a strong opinion that the CRFFN should seek alternative resolution of this emerging crisis and be ready to meet the associations mid way, somehow.
We equally advise the associations to be conscious of the fact that the money in question is payable by importers and not by them, unless we are wrong.
Discussion about this post