The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) has said that, it will never compromise on the requirements for registration as registered freight forwarder, even as it explained that, it only recognises the five registered freight forwarding associations.
The Council was reacting to reports that, some unqualified persons have been trouping to its Lagos office to register as freight forwarders, ahead of the Council’s expected election into its governing council.
The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) has said that, it will never compromise on the requirements for registration as registered freight forwarder, even as it explained that, it only recognises the five registered freight forwarding associations.
The Council was reacting to reports that, some unqualified persons have been trouping to its Lagos office to register as freight forwarders, ahead of the Council’s expected election into its governing council.
A freight forwarding group; the Registered Freight Forwarders Forum (RFF) had raised the alarm via messages sent to the CRFFN and Shipping Position Daily last week that there has been an increase in the number of unqualified persons being registered by the CRFFN. It also expressed worry that, if the trend is not checked, the CRFFN would be infiltrated by touts and miscreants.
In the message that was signed by the group’s chairman, Chief Festus Ukwu, it had raised alarm that: "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. By all standards, this practice is unacceptable and very condemnable.
But, in a swift reaction to the alarm, the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe allayed fears that the CRRN will be infiltrated by unqualified persons.
According to the registrar, applying for membership of the CRRFN does not confer automatic membership on such an applicant.
Jukwe in a statement sent to Shipping Position Daily, declared that applying for registration with CRFFN alone “does not confer registration (RFF) with CRFFN until after fulfilling the under-mentioned requirements followed with physical verification. CRFFN has the right to contact the institutions and the employers as the case may be to verify all the claims by applicants seeking registration”.
According to him, “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.”
He 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.
According tom him, the stringent conditions for registration make it very impossible for touts, hoodlums and unqualified persons to be in the CRFFN’s Register of Freight Forwarders.
The registrar also declared that, it however does not recognise the Festus Ukwu-led Registered Freight Forwarders Forum, even as it added that, it does not act on text messages.
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