By Uzor Odigbo
The Nigerian government has been advised to collapse the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) into other sister-agencies under the Ministry of Transportation (FMOT).
Against the backdrop of abysmal performance since its establishment in 2007 and lack of focus to ascertain its mandates, stakeholders have stressed the need for the Council to exist as a unit or department under the Nigerian Shippers Council, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron; or Nigerian Institute for Transport Technology (NITT).
According to them , the ineptitude of the council gave rise for the associations to perform statutory roles.
The recent taskforce teams introduced by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) to checkmate corruption and sharp practices had been described as illegal calling on the moribund CRFFN to sanction or delist groups usurping its functions.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Thursday, President Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) , Mr. Zebulon Ikokide, described the actions of the associations as duplication of functions of council’s operations, even as he called on the Ministry of Transportation to caution the groups involved in encroaching on CRFFN responsibilities.
Ikokide further advocated for the council to deregister any associations found usurping its scope of operations.
The NIFFCB boss said:”CRFFN should wake up if they still want to remain relevant as an agency in the maritime industry by taking the bull by the horn. Otherwise I will advice for government to convert it as a directorate under the maritime agencies.
“If things continue to work out this way then I call on the government to collapse the CRFFN into any of the grade A agencies of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
“NIMASA,NPA and Nigerian Shippers Council, MAN Oron and NITT can consume the council since it has failed to make any progress “, he added.
While reacting on the closure of a bonded terminal in Lagos by members of the 100% taskforce complaince of NAGAFF, Ikokide described the action as illegal and unlawful, urging owners of the facility to commence operations immediately.
He affirmed that the closure of the facility should be the sole responsibility of law enforcement agencies of the government and not an association registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“I will call those behind that actions as touts because they are not backed by law in anyway to carry out that action. They have right to pickett the terminal but not to shut it down.
“An association is not a union that can shutdown operations of service providers and what authorities did they use to carry out that operations.
The President also took a swipe at the owners of the facility for failing to engage the taskforce team of NAGAFF physically and legally over fringement of rights.
But in a related response to the taskforce complaince team put in place by the associations, President, Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Frank Ogunojemite, applauded the NAGAFF 100% compliance team for taking their destiny into their hands since CRFFN has failed to perform its responsibilities.
Ogunojemite said CRFFN lacked visibility in port operations and freight forwarding practice in the seaports, airports and land border posts hence the associations deemed it fit to fight for themselves due to lackluster of the council.
“If you are visible at the port ,then nobody will play your role . Instead of CRFFN to engage stakeholders on how to move the sector forward, they are there looking for how to share POF that will never come .”
“Since CRFFN has failed to regulate the practitioners then what do you expect from the associations .”
Stakeholders in that last two months have reiterated for the abolishment of CRFFN due to poor performance and inability to address multiple issues confronting freight forwarding practice in the Nigeria.
