18th August, 2010
The Central Working Committee of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CWCFFN) has held a mass rally to condemn the way and manner the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), is being run.
The association which comprises National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), National Council of Managing Directors of Licensing Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Freight Forwarders Academy of Nigeria (FFAN), National Association of Freight Forwarders Council (NAFFAC), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders (AREFF), Institute of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (IFFN) and Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Freight Forwarders Group, held the rally at Apapa, Lagos.
Reading a communiqué signed by the associations, the consultant, Dr. Boniface Aniebolam, said freight forwarders are not at home with the way and manner that the CRFFN is being administered, adding that it was not in the interest of their association, but a few individuals who seem to have forgotten the primary function of the council which is capacity building and skill development of practitioners.
The freight forwarders frowed at the operation of the council which has not been able to form a quorum as well as their deliberate attempt to either delay or stop the filling of the 15 vacancies left after their inauguration two years ago.
Aniebolam stated that until the existing and accredited five associations are represented at the CRFFN, freight forwarders will continue to question the legitimacy of the council.
”Members are also demanding that the 15 existing vacancies should be shared among the five accredited associations as applicable to the Accounting Standard Board where both associations of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) are represented,” he added.
They also argued that it is only the accredited associations that can be members of the global organisation, Federation of International Amalgamation of Transport Association (FIATA) and not CRFFN that is a regulatory body.
They disclosed further that over 5,000 applied for accreditation with the CRFFN and paid N5,400 each, only for the CRFFN to introduce cumbersome conditions for accreditation after collecting money from the applicants, with only 2,042 being provisionally accredited.
—Moses Falobi