The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is facing another round of life-threatening challenges following its inability to pay staff salaries for about nine months, and the non-existence of a governing council since 2023.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that Acting Registrar of the CRFFN, Mrs Chinyere Uromta during a recent visit by Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) had blamed the Council’s removal from federal budgetary allocations as the primary reason for its inability to pay workers’ salaries for many months.
Uromta noted that the financial strain has severely crippled the council’s operations, preventing it from fulfilling its regulatory mandate effectively. However, she explained that this was one of the major reasons workers in the agency recently ran to MWUN to seek refuge under the Shipping, Clearing & Forwarding Agencies Workers branch.
This prolonged crisis has intensified calls from the MWUN for immediate action to resolve both the financial and governance issues plaguing the organization.
Speaking with our correspondent recently, the President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, expressed worry over the unpaid salaries of CRFFN staff, while voicing serious concerns over the ongoing financial and governance challenges at the Council.
Despite efforts by the workers to seek refuge and advocate for their rights through MWUN, Adeyanju criticized CRFFN’s management for failing to address this issue.
In a further critique of the CRFFN’s priorities, Adeyanju reacted to the acting registrar’s organization of training workshops for freight forwarders, despite the ongoing salary crisis emphasizing that workers’ compensation should take precedence over other activities, including training and workshops.
Comrade Adeyanju expressed concerns over the CRFFN’s funding, questioning how the organization could sustain itself without a budget. He indicated that the matter is now under close examination by the MWUN, with plans to escalate the issue to relevant authorities for resolution.
Adeyanju underscored the need for accurate and objective reporting from the staff regarding their grievances. He expressed frustration over the apparent lack of trust and cooperation between the workers and the Acting Registrar.
The MWUN leader also mentioned that there are recent discussions with some freight forwarding associations to facilitate better support for freight forwarders and align efforts with CRFFN’s objectives.
While reiterating MWUN’s commitment to supporting the workers and ensuring their grievances are addressed the President General called for a shift from past issues, emphasizing the importance of moving forward with accurate and constructive information to resolve the current challenges.
He said: “There’s nothing bad in organizing training for their workers, but you need to look at the stomach. You must put the workers’ salaries first before organizing such programs.
“You are aware of what happened in the past, where they wrote petitions upon petitions against themselves. The Acting Registrar is trying her best, but because of where she is coming from, the workers do not trust her anymore. They do not believe in her, even when she says what she wants to do.
“The matter is before me, and I think we will see what we can do. When the workers give information, you have to be very careful. I investigate issues before reacting, because I want to take this matter before the authorities”, Adeyanju stated.
Speaking with a staff of CRFFN who pleaded anonymity due to obvious reasons, he expressed displeasure over the unpaid salaries, adding that life has been so difficult for them which had led to so many of the staff resigning from the Council.
The staff added that they are in talks with the leadership of the MWUN on the next line of action on how to engage CRFFN concerning the unpaid salaries.
Reacting on the 14-months vacuum created since the dissolution of the CRFFN Governing Council, an elected member of the governing Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko expressed worry that it has not been reconstituted despite the fact that the tenure of the elected members had not expired.
Tanko argued that the CRFFN which is now a government agency is suffering from lack of genuine support and independence, which he believes is undermining its effectiveness. He expressed frustration over what he perceived as lack of meaningful engagement from the current Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
According to him, there is a notable disconnect between CRFFN and the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, with no meaningful engagement from the minister and unanswered communications.
Financial transparency is another critical issue Tanko raised, highlighting that freight forwarders are paying the Practitioner Operating Fees (POF) without clear information on how the money is being used. He stressed that there is widespread frustration among both longstanding and new members about these issues.
In light of these problems, Tanko called for a halt to any further payments to CRFFN, until the agency clarifies its mission and demonstrates how it intends to use members’ contributions effectively.
“The CRFFN must be allowed to operate independently without government interference. Government agencies are not ready to help CRFFN. They don’t even seem to understand or care about the straightforwardness and contribution of the CRFFN to the nation.
When contacted for her reaction, no response was received from the Acting Registrar of the CRFFN, Mrs Chinyere Uromta, as phone calls and text messages sent to her were not responded to as at press time.
