Group Cautions Amaechi Over CRFFN Election Crisis

Harboursandport.com: Lagos - A group, Concerned Independent Contestant, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN has written an open letter to the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, cautioning on the activities of alleged industry political parties.

A statement from the group, signed Chukwuemeka Nwosu, on behalf of the Governing Council Election 2021, said that it gathered from online the unfortunate and weak barking echoing from the table of some industry political parties in the freight forwarding subsector of the maritime industry, which chooses to code name themselves as registered associations under the CRFFN. 

Nwosu said that the political parties in their attempt to hijack the forthcoming election arose from a meeting where they x-rayed the bitter truth and counseling dished out to them by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry during the recent stakeholders meeting at Eko Hotels in Lagos, find it difficult to accept the reality of the moment as it were, especially in the context of the provisions of Act 16 2007.

Nwosu stated: “They resort to threatening the Honorable Minister, that they (industry political parties) and "members may back out of the forthcoming CRFFN election 2021 if the transportation ministry continues to violate the provisions of the act". This allegation of violation of the provisions of Act 16 2007 purely is a case of the "pot calling the kettle blackky", because themselves are in breaches of the CRFFN Act 16 2007 provisions.

“Honorable Minister, what is known in the CRFFN Act via Regulation 2010 is the Accreditated Freight Forwarding Associations in Nigeria; the CRFFN does not have the legislative powers to register associations.

“Presently,  there exists in the freight forwarding sub-sector of the maritime industry, not less than 20 different freight forwarding related  Associations and groupings all duly registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission. The CRFFN can only register individuals practicing freight forwarders as Practitioners and not freight forwarding associations. Reason for the choice words: "accreditated freight forwarding associations" is obvious in this regard.

“This so-called Political parties masquerading as registered associations with CRFFN devised political arithmetic Coded 6:6:1:1:1 for the purpose of rigging the CRFFN Governing Council Election 2021.

“Honorable Minister, it is an irony these industry Political leaders are vehemently turning a professionally driven arena into a political theatre even doing so with impunity. The need to wield the professional hammer to instill professional discipline promptly can not be overemphasized.

“Finally, Honorable Minister, the act provides for accreditation or de-accreditation of Associations and corporate institutions;  register and deregister, registered freight forwarders. You may wish to set up an independent Committee to review the activities of the accreditated Associations giving the parameter of Professional performance indicators.

Please be decisive and stay resolute in adherence to the provisions of Act 16 2007. o not fall for the cheap threats of backing out from the election, go ahead and direct for the conduct of the election of 15:registered freight forwarders into the Governing Council, doing so, is fulfilling the provisions of the CRFFN Act,” he said.