Since its creation in 2007, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (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; the fight is still before the courts.
Since its creation in 2007, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (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; the fight is still before the courts.
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.
While we can not categorically say that the case involving the Council of Managing Directors is dead, CRFFN had 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.
Since taking over the mantle of leadership from the pioneer chairman; Mr Tony Nwabunike, the incumbent; Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju has demonstrated uncommon ability to steer the ship of the council. This, he has demonstrated in the way he was able to reach a compromise with the NAGAFF during the face-off, and also in the manner in which he was able to tame the ‘renegades’ called IFFFA and the dogged manner in which he has been pursuing the FIATA’s training the trainers programme for freight forwarders.
He, along with the Council’s registrar; Sir Mike Jukwe and other members of the governing council has been 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 CRFFN that the council 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 trusts themselves, while the two main ‘opposition associations’; ANLCA and NAGAFF are circumstantially also being cut-off from the mainstream of CRFFN activities, owing largely to their stance on the brouhaha that heralded the controversial goodwill from the minister to help the CRFFN to raise fund and execute its programmes.
It is a surprise that all efforts to end the feud have failed, including the intervention by the minister of transport.
The reason behind the hard position of CRFFN on one hand and that of the duo of ANLCA and NAGAFF can be understood as being induced by pecuniary interests of the various bodies they represent. This has openly being admitted by the founder of NAGAFF; Dr Boniface Aniebonam when he pointedly said in a statement that “let the truth be told that the wrangling in the proper management and administration of CRFFN is about inequitable sharing formula…..”
Since it is a fact that money is at the heart of the matter, it is our candid opinion that the warring parties should negotiate what is equitable and also be willing to be receptive to arguments of one another.
It is shameful (to say the least) that CRFFN is engaged in a battle with its ‘subjects’ over money. Somewhere in its enabling Act, the Council could find a way out of its frequent face-off with freight forwarding associations. It should also weigh its decisions very well henceforth and consider greatly the implication of such.
Somehow, we are convinced that, having compromised once its guidelines for registration of freight forwarding associations, it is now caught in the web of maintaining standards. The CRFFN would have had more bite, if it had insisted, ab initio that every aspiring association should fulfill all the requirements.
The shameful fight between it and the associations that it registered is a demonstration of gradual loss of control.
As much as we are in agreement with all those who have postulated that CRFFN is right in its action, we strongly advise that the Council should consider its position and meet the agitators mid way. The CRFFN has a lot more to lose; it will cost it a lot more goodwill to build the fence that is being pulled down currently. The crisis is heating up the industry and it is not in anyone’s interest.
Perhaps, it should consider what it is offering the associations, but such should be proportional to their numerical strength.
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