Apparently not pleased with the way the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is being managed since his exit, Hakeem Olanrewaju, former Governing Council chairman, has frowned at the failure of the Council to conduct fresh election to bring new leaders onboard.
He claimed that the present leadership of the Council instead of focusing on election is seeking ways to elongate its tenure instead of electing new leaders.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos recently, Olanrewaju, who doubles as the managing director/ceo of Talod Oceanair Freight Limited, argued that the present call for all freight forwarders to come forward and register properly with the requisite credentials ought to have started since 2018.
“Issuing such professional notice, at this crucial time, when the tenure of the third Governing Council has elapsed since July, 2020 is wrong. The right thing should have been the Notice of Election into the Governing Council and the Electoral Guideline. One may begin to consider this administrative notice on the grounds of legitimacy and viewed as move to coaxing the practitioners while the real issues are left unattended to,” Olanrewaju said.
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He wondered why up till now, there has not been any denial of the news making rounds that the Governing
Council of CRFFN has tenure elongation agenda up its sleeves even as he warned against any violation of the provisions of the Act that established the Council.
“It is obvious that the CRFFN Act 16, 2007 is an extant law of the federation, as such pending the conclusion of the amendment process presently on going at the National Assembly relevant provisions is extant. Therefore, the governing council is hereby encouraged not to truncate nor make mockery of its two years statutory elective succession as provided in the act,” he said.
According to Olanrewaju, it has been a subject of professional discussion at different forum, whether or not the CRFFN is supposed to be an agency of the government or an independent self-sustaining professional regulatory council.
He called on the government to come out clear on what it really want to achieve with the establishment of the council as he alleged that the supervisory ministry, subtly changed the modus operandi of the council.
The CRFFN is empowered by Act 16 of 2007 to regulate and control the practice of freight forwarding and promote the highest standard of competence, practice and conduct amongst practitioners, ensuring professionalism and best ethical practices. Registration with CRFFN is mandatory for persons, organizations and associations involved with freight forwarding in the country.
