• Friday, March 29, 2024
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CRFFN elections: Olanrewaju commends intervention of Ministry of Transport

Olanrewaju writes Amaechi on CRFFN problems, proffer solutions

Hakeem Olaranwaju, a former Governing Council Chairman of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN), has commended the intervention of the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Magdalene Ajani in earmarking the modalities for the election of new executive members into the council.

In a statement issued in Lagos recently, Olanrewaju said the intervention has not only saved the freight forwarding profession from intending anarchy, but has helped to salvage the profession from ridicule.

He faulted the process of electing the 15 practicing freight forwarders into the CRFFN Governing Council.

He commended Ajani for admonishing the leadership of the accredited forwarding associations into considering the interest of the profession. He however faulted the appointment of those he called ‘non-practitioners’ across the country to represent the geo-political zones in the council.

To him, such appointment should be made among the practitioners with respect to the Governing Council and not an advisory board in the order of government agencies under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation.

“The appointed government agencies nominees should be picked from the department in each agency that has functions in relation to freight and logistics concerns. This will make room for balance and ease of regulation-making processes,” he said.

To address some of the ills plaguing the CRFFN, he enjoined Ajani to be resolute with the earlier position that only credible freight forwarders should be allowed to contest elections with or without membership of any accredited association.

Olanrewaju, who is also managing director/CEO of Talod Oceanair Freight Limited, said that one of the administrative challenges the first and second Governing Councils of CRFFN contended with was the subtle moves to take over regulatory powers from the Governing Council members and the management team.

He further picked holes in the idea of pushing for sharing formula in the forthcoming election into the council.

“The accredited associations are clamouring for election sharing formula to teleguide CRFFN administration even when they are not in good standing with the council. Records have shown that they do not pay their registration and annual subscription fees to the CRFFN except for individual and corporate members that pay or subscribe annually but not the associations that are statutorily recognised as the third category of membership by the CRFFN Act,” he alleged.

According to him, accredited associations do not have the moral and professional temerity to ask for election sharing formula, and the Practitioners Operation Fees (POF) sharing percentage when they are not compliant with the provisions of the extant laws and regulations.

He pointed out that those associations owe more than 10 years of subscription fees in arrears.