Group Ridicules CRFFN , Says Only Govt Parastatal Of 14Yrs Existence Without Permanent Edifice

Maritime activist group, the Save Nigerian Freight Forwarders Importers Exporters Coalition has expressed dissatisfaction over thirteen years existence of the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) without its own edifice urging the Federal government to either scrap or convert it to a department under another agency of the Transportation Ministry.

 

 

The group lamented that the council has became a lay about parastatal in accommodation matter saying CRFFN is suffering from “landlord and tenant crisis” since its establishment in 2007 by an act of parliament.

 

Coordinator of the port activist group, Chief Osita Chukwu Patrick in a chat on Tuesday in Lagos , called on federal government to look inward on what to do with CRFFN adding that the council has created more problems for practitioners .

 

Osita challenged the Registrar of CRFFN, Sam Nwakohu to inform the general public on its achievements in the last four years pointing out that no responsible government would create a parastatal, agency or department without a befitting accomodations for staff and personnel.

 

He reiterated that CRFFN in the last three years has been described as the worst agency in the maritime sector urging the government to allow practitioners to take responsibilities and run the affairs of the council like other professional bodies e.g COREN and ICAN respectively.

 

According to him, CRFFN should be managed by practitioners and not the government adding that the council was purposefully created as a conduit pipe and economic waste.

 

Osita said CRFFN was allegedly harassed and disgraced in times past over accommodation  brouhaha by Apapa landlords twice as occupants, saying such embarrassment rob off negatively on the government.

 

Asked about the council’s performance for the ending 2021, the port activist stressed that: “No doubt CRFFN has not impacted in anyway. What we are begging government to do is to quash it out or fuse them to bigger agency for effective monitoring.

 

“CRFFN is not performing in anyway I must confess. They don’t really know what they are mandated to do, the right people or professionals that can manage the affairs of the council are not there; and I think there is need for practitioners and staff of the council to be reoriented.

 

“Imagine a parastatal of government without its own building. CRFFN is like an earthworm working in the hot sun.

 

Speaking further, he noted that “How can a parastatal of government be in existence for about fourteen years and cannot boast of a single office in Nigeria with all the billions we are talking about.

 

“There is no parastatal of government that was created for more than five years without its own structure. My submission today is that they should be closely monitored by another bigger agency of the government.

 

 

However, he blamed the government for the negligence on the council poor performances since its establishment adding that CRFFN will continue to suffer setbacks as the worst ever parastatal of the government in Nigeria except the right individuals are elected and appointed  to key positions .

 

CRFFN has continued to face major challenges against the backdrop of its establishing since 2007.

 

Top of those challenges include; lack of training of practitioners, controversial Professional Operating Fee (POF) , appointment of non practitioners as registrar and government participation in its affairs.

 

According to section 4 of act number 16 of 2007 establishing the council charged it with the general duty of  determining the persons or cases of persons who constitute freight forwarders for the purposes of this act; determining the standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by persons seeking to be registered as freight forwarders and raising those standards from time to time in accordance with international industry practice;

 

Other include, regulating and controlling the practice of freight forwarding; regulating and controlling all the associations of freight forwarding agents; regulating and controlling persons who are engaged in freight forwarding; ensuring uniform standards of professional conduct and education relevant to freight forwarding practice;

 

Also to promoting the highest standard of competence, practice and conduct among members of the profession; securing, in accordance with the provisions of this act the establishment and maintenance of registers of persons entitled to practice as registered freight forwarders and the publication from time to time of the list of such persons;and encouraging participation of members in international exchange programme;

 

 

 

 

By Roland Ekama