Sir John Oforbike (ANLCA Chieftain)
They have to look at the Act that established the CRFFN and why it was established. The CRFFN was established to train the operators and make the people grow with the trend of events. CRFFN was created for a purpose and they have to go back to the drawing board and look at that purpose. The people that mind that office, use it as one of those government agencies to make money for themselves. So, they have to make their impact felt.
They should not be carried away because they were readmitted into the ministry. There will be a deep searchlight now by the government to watch the activities of the Council through EFCC and the other departments. They must make sure that whatever they do should be within the scope that created them and there should be serious accountability. It should not be business as usual again.
Dr. Segun Musa (Deputy National President, Air and Logistics, NAGAFF)
I would advise CRFFN to start embarking on intensive free training for all freight forwarders as well as interfacing with other government agencies to resolve trade issues between freight forwarders and other government agencies. Also, the management of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria should come up with great and sustainable strategies to showcase the relevance of the Council. There should also be adequate creation of awareness amongst all stakeholders in the industry.
Festus Ukwu (National Secretary, NCMDLCA)
We are very happy that the government has absorbed CRFFN into the budget. That is a leverage and something has to be done to ensure that there should be harmony, and peace, among all registered freight forwarders to ensure that members are paying the POF. This is because, if they are not paying, how do they expect the Council to succeed? So, the new situation should be how to put everything in the right place. The old and new order should come together and put all things in place first. When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
Rev. Alex Nwokedi (National Financial Secretary, AREFFN)
With this latest development in CRFFN, I think it is a good one because if you look at their performances in the last three or four years, they have been performing very low because they were not admitted into that budget. Any organization without a budget cannot function effectively. It is with money you run an organization. So, the steps the federal government has taken so far by admitting them, is a very good one and so many of us have acknowledged that. I know by this they will now begin to function and work very well especially on the training and retraining of the freight forwarders. I think the government has done well and I know the registrar, going by his track record, has always been efficient and highly knowledgeable. And I know he will bring together all his experience over the years to move the CRFFN forward. Lastly, the CRFFN should now begin to pay the percentage they are supposed to pay to agents. They have not paid for a long period of time despite collecting POF.
Anthony Onyike (National Vice President, NAFFAC)
It’s a welcome development that the government has come to the rescue of CRFFN. Associations should now urgently appoint representatives to the governing council of CRFFN to represent them. If associations are allowed to appoint representatives, there will be equal representation, but if it’s done by election, there won’t be equal representation then democracy will be lacking in the affairs of CRFFN. Remember that CRFFN accredited five associations as qualified associations recognized to carry on the affairs of freight forwarding in Nigeria, by this accreditation, no association should be lording on orders, no association should be seen to be greater.
Clinton Okoro (APFFLON PRO, Tin Can Chapter)
First of all, I want to congratulate Mr Kingsley Igwe the Registrar of CRFFN. I have often pleaded with stakeholders to be patient with the newly appointed Registrar to at least settle down and under study the confines of his office before rolling out his agenda. You can agree with me that re-admittance of CRFFN into federal government budget allocation is a great achievement. With this readmittance it clearly shows that CRFFN is a governmental agency, and now there’s a budget I don’t think the issue of non-payment of salary will still be heard. On the issue of Practitioners Operating Fees (POF), I think CRFFN have created enough awareness on it and have been collecting the fee, even though because of the corruption in the system as at then, the agency could not pay their staff not to talk of fulfilling her promises to freight Forwarders she ought to regulate. However, I believe with the new man Mr Kingsley Igwe at the helm of affairs, he is going to change the narrative by going back to the core mandate of training and retraining freight forwarders and equally allocate POF percentage to customs clearing agencies that comply with POF payment.
Chief Increase Uche (Former CRFFN Governing Council Member)
That will amount to setting an agenda for the new registrar. I know he is working on something. We should wait for him. Let me not put the cart before the horse. I believe he is working on something crucial that will impact the industry. As a new person, all those teething problems he met there needs to be resolved and it is going to take some time. We are following up to ensure that it is implemented properly but we will not over labour him.
Taiwo Fatomilola (National PRO AREFFN)
The CRFFN governing council where freight forwarders voted and where they are elected in session. Those are the things the management of CRFFN are supposed to address, especially when the new registrar came on board. An election should have been organized. What are they using the Practitioners Operating Fees they are collecting for? It is supposed to be for the training of agents that they represent. The main purpose of the Council is to train agents and acquit them with the necessary education that would make them to be at par with their professional colleagues worldwide. To me, the admission back to the budget is a betrayal of the purpose of other agents because whoever plays the piper dictates the tune. That’s how it is.
