Olanrewaju tasks Amaechi on commitment to professionalising freight forwarding, says CRFFN drifting towards chaos

A former Chairman, Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Aare Hakeem Olanrewaju, has again called on the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to show cause and commitment towards the attainments of professionalism in the freight forwarding industry through an effective and efficient CRFFN administration.

Olanrewaju, in a letter dated 7 March, 2022 and addressed to the Minister expressed serious concerns that the Council which he and other members of the first and second governing council worked hard to build is fast drifting from its original objectives to professional recklessness and impunity by the day.

“It is an act of deliberate compromise for the CRFFN to designate its registration portal (for both new membership and annual subscription registration activities) to an interested party (association Secretariat) during an electioneering process, whereas the CRFFN has a conducive and functional office complex in Lagos and other zones.

“It was also reported that, soon after the election, the registers of freight forwarders dropped drastically, on account of non-annual subscription in the subsequent years, till another election year, leading to membership data fluctuation, inconsistency and poor data keeping with regards to “real time comprehensive register of freight forwarders” that can be presented or accessible at any given time.  This is an outright abuse of professional regulation and maintenance of professional register.

“The present scenario in the industry suggests that the regulatees now decide the future of the regulator, this is a sorry state, as there is no end to this scenario, especially so in the face of the electioneering process and setting,” he said.

Olanrewaju said leaders of the various freight forwarding associations have resorted to selects freight forwarders that are loyal to them to go into the Council adding that some of them coopted and compelled some of their members to pay millions of naira in other to secure their nomination ticket to represent their associations in the Governing Council.

According to him, financial interest caused by the 35% revenue allocation to the accredited associations is the major reason for the endless rancour among freight forwarders in their quest to be members of the CRFFN governing council.

“Foremostly, let me put it on record that, the persistence clamour by the accredited associations in their 6:6:1:1:1 sharing formula quests over and in preference to a credible professional electioneering process, stems from the following background and contemplations:

“Notably, during the first governing council tenure, pursuant to section 6(2c), we made a regulation – 2010 (Annual Subscription & Other Fees).  In this regard, the practitioner’s transaction fee (PTF) later rechristened as the Practitioners operating fees – (POF) was regulated accordingly.

“The fee was aimed to rapidly develop and galvanize the freight forwarding profession and to place it on the global map, especially so among the comity of professionalized freight forwarding nations.

“To this extent, it was resolved that the accredited associations will receive a yearly subvention (subject to the CRFFN management), for the sole aim of training programs (capacity building). The subvention disbursement will be effected with consideration to respective associations numerical strength and spreads across the operational zones. And such subvention is subject to yearly retirement and auditing by the CRFFN auditors, this was agreed on, in order to foster and integrate the culture of both professionalism and accountability amongst the freight forwarding accredited associations.

“Surprisingly, when there was no constituted governing council in place, the formal registrar in collusion with some ministry staffs and associations leaders, went from the behind on the 26th day of February, 2015 and  amended the provisions of section 9(1) of the above regulations 2010,  with a caveat which reads thus: “CRFFN collects 60% as Internal Generated Revenue ( IGR), the Associations will collect 35% as provided by the CRFFN Act ( Accreditation of  Associations of Freight Forwarders) Regulation -2010.

“The Registered Freight Forwarders/License Customs Agent ( RFF/LCA) is entitled to the 5% of the practitioners operating fee, which will be collected by the CRFFN and remitted to the concerned RFF/LCA”.

“At no time did the Accreditation of Associations of Freight Forwarders –  regulation 2010 contemplated nor contained such dangerous trends excerpt perhaps to state the obvious suspicion  that the said regulation might have been manipulated by the magic hands of the promoters.

“The crux of the matter revolves around this premise, leading to the rampant press fires works, the deliberate insistence, resistance and subtle threats and refusals by the leadership of the accredited associations to any suggested or reasonable professional approach in matters of election, etc originates and revolves around these financial interests.”

He noted that as presently constituted the number of unaccredited associations by the CRFFN are far greater than the 5 accredited associations, and under such arrangements, industrial peace cannot be easily guaranteed.

Olanrewaju urged the minister to use his good office to avert looming professional chaos by taking a second look at the electioneering process, otherwise, it will be regarded as looking the other way when so many compromises and issues are going wrong with the agency under the Transport Ministry’s supervision.

“Looking the other way or feigning ignorance of it will tantamount that your nonchalance towards the freight forwarding profession is premised or construe as your non conversant with the roles and importance of the freight forwarding profession cum practitioners to the nation’s economy,” he said.

The EX-CRFFN Chairman who noted that the role of women in a professional governing council leadership cannot be over emphasized also urged the minister to include a reasonable number of women into the Governing Council.

“The minister is hereby encouraged to emulate from the former Minister Yusuf, who in making his appointment included a reasonable number of women into the Governing Council, during the first and second governing council. In the past, we had a list of reputable and seasoned civil servants, whose immense roles and contributions in advancing our regulatory obligations cannot be measured nor quantified during the first and second governing council and they are: Mrs Chinwe Ezenwa – Rep. FMOT; Mrs Anne  Mkpor. – Rep. NPA; Mrs Vincent  Rep..FAAN;  Mrs Dabney Shaholma. Rep. NSC; and Mrs A. Bidy – FF Rep.SS..

“Today, under your watch from 2018 to date, only 2 women are seen contesting an election, while the aspect of increasing women inclusion by appointment seems not encouraging,” he said.