War In CRFFN: Nigeria Loses Out In FIATA

The internal wrangling within the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding practice in Nigeria (CRFFN) has started taking its toll on Nigeria’s status in the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA).

At the recently concluded World Congress of the global body held in Cairo, Egypt, Nigeria narrowly missed the hammer of the body when her expulsion from the international arena was averted.

The action, according to Mr Mike Jukwe, the Registrar of CRFFN, was sequel to the war within the fold of the council, which the global body frowned at and was said to have portrayed Nigeria in bad light outside the country.

Some members of the governing council of the regulatory body of Nigerian Freight Forwarders have engaged its Chairman, Alhaji Akeem Olanrewaju, in a battle of wits over the issue of accountability.

Added to the near ignoble outing of Nigeria in the World Congress was the decision of the global body to strip the country of the hosting right of the 2012 meeting of the Region Africa Middle East (RAME) which was given to South Africa.

Nigeria had made elaborate preparations for the event as it was certain that she would be favoured by the international body to host the gathering but lost the hosting right to South Africa when CRFFN delegates at the Congress tactically withdrew Nigeria’s bid when it was obvious that the odium and outrage which the internal wrangling within the Nigerian body would have made the country lose its bid.

Not yet done with Nigeria, FIATA renewed the travel ban it slammed on all its officials to Nigeria in the wake of the crisis in the CRFFN.

Jukwe, who made the disheartening disclosure, stated that the petition which the International Freight Forwarders Association wrote against CRFFN to FIATA inflicted incalculable damage on the image of Nigeria.

The association had allegedly wrote the petition at the behest of some suspended officials of CRFFN, whose suspension sparked off the crisis but who were believed to be members of Board of Directors of the association.

“The petition contained threats to peace should FIATA officials come to Nigeria for the Training-Of-the-Trainers (TOT) programme that was to be held in Nigeria for the first time from 9-14 September, 2011.