CRFFN Fails To Understand ACTU

The recent inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) calls to question the understanding of the CRFFN leadership of the Council’s true essence.

From all indications, the activities of the CRFFN leadership may be the cause of the several controversies that have submerged the council since its establishment.

Notably, the CRFFN leadership may have misconstrued the council for a government parastatal or agency.

It would be recalled that following the approval of the Presidency, through the Federal Executive Council(FEC), a directive was given by the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation through circular HOCSF/498/133 of 15 October 2001 to ministries, parastatals and agencies to establish anti-corruption and transparency monitoring units (ACTUs) to assist the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in performing its functions in ministries/extra-ministerial bodies and agencies, except prosecution, under the active supervision of the commission.

In specific terms, the ACTUs are set up to facilitate investigations by professional detectives or investigators from the commission as well as serve as the “eyes” and “ears” of the commission about the goings-on in the ministries, parastatals and agencies pertaining to corrupt practices.

From the foregoing, the critical question is: “When did CRFFN become a ministry, parastatal or agency of government?”

At the inauguration of the unit on 21 September, 2011, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe, said: “Today, we are inaugurating the anti-corruption and transparency monitoring unit (ACTU) with our staff that have just come on board. We could not do so before now because most of the staff required to constitute the committee were yet to be employed.

“The ACTU in every Ministry, Department and Agency, is the watchdog of the administration to ensure that corruption practices are avoided and to report any. The transformation agenda of the present administration can only be achieved in a corrupt free society. Therefore, I urge you to carry out your duties without fear or favour.”

From the above, we may not be wrong to say that the CRFFN boss does not understand the intendments of the Council.