We’re not expecting anything but failure from new CRFFN Governing Board- Freight forwarders

Some licensed customs agents and freight forwarders who participated in the just concluded Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN) Governing Council election held in Lagos on Wednesday said they are not expecting anything new from the Council but failure given the crop of individuals that emerge as winners and would serve in the new governing board.

The agents who expressed displeasure over the conduct of the election said that there was massive vote- buying with market women and Okada riders registered as voters.

Our correspondent who monitored the election in the Western Zone observed that the election was characterized by several anomalies including very poor organization, late arrival of materials and hired touts participating in the election.

As at 10: 00 am when voting was scheduled to commence, materials were not yet on ground and as a result of the delay, voting did not start till around 12:15pm giving room for series of manipulation including printing of fake identity cards.

One of the clearing agents, Godfrey Nwosu, who spoke with Maritime Today Online said the conduct of the election was against the provisions of the CRFFN Act on voters’ eligibility.

Nwosu accused those who were elected into the governing board of not having any agenda to deliver on but are only going to the Council to act on a written script.

He said, “This regime of CRFFN electoral committee has succeeded in achieving their ulterior motive. The provisions of the CRFFN Act on eligibility to vote was not taken into cognizance. The Act provides that for you to vote or even be voted for, the individual must have been a member of the Council for not less than two years. But what we observed at the venue of the election today (Wednesday) did not suffice.

“So, I am not expecting anything new from the individuals that made it into the governing council other than failure. Those of them who succeeded into the Council today are going to play a written script. None among them have an agenda or even mandate to deliver. By Friday, go to their base and you will see them celebrating. What are they celebrating? Victory for all or for who they believe in?

“We are going to see the worst reflection of the last governing council. This board is a replica of an assembly. Don’t forget that the governing board is supposed to be a platform where motions on shipping companies, terminal operators, Customs and even other government agencies move in view of their inordinate operational procedure. The Council is supposed to raise issues from there and begin to address it but I tell you nothing different will happen from what we have seen in the past.”

Also speaking, another observer and clearing agent, Emmanuel Onyeme, described majority of the new governing council members as benchwarmers.

According to him, many of them do not have the capacity to make meaningful input that would ensure that freight forwarding practice is regulated and address operational challenges faced by members.

“The election has come and gone and out of the five candidates that won, four came in from NAGAFF. It is only Kayode Farinto that came back as ANLCA representative for the Western zone.

“From my assessment, I don’t think there will be any difference compared to the last council because when you look at the people who came in to the board again, you already know what their records are. From what I saw today, I don’t see any of them apart from Farinto and Tanko having that boldness to confront the government agencies, shipping companies and terminal operators. I see the other governing board members as bench warmers who are just going there without any meaningful input to make because we are all in this industry and we know ourselves,” he said.

On the allegation of vote-buying, Onyeme said, “A lot of people they bought came from Mushin, Ajegunle and Oshodi. If you look at their dressing, you will know that these are people who don’t operate in the port. It is very shameful with the kind of people we saw today that if this is how the Council will continue, it is not worth it.

“We were here when they picked up machines and were making identity cards for them. So, there was massive buying of votes and registration and the Council did not give us an opportunity to check this. I was expecting the Council to say that for people to contest the election, those in the registry must be people who have registered for the past two years. But we discovered today that people were registered in January and in March, they are coming to cast elections. It is never done.”

According to the election results obtained by Maritime Today Online, the new governing board members are; Princess Chi Ezeh with 224 votes (NAGAFF), Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim 179 votes (NAGAFF), Ndubuisi Uzoegbo 147 votes (NAGAFF), Awogbemi Timothy 145 votes (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche 121 votes (NAGAFF/Independent), Chukwunonso Ejikeme 120 votes (NAGAFF), Tochukwu Ezisi 110 votes (NAGAFF).

Others are: Ekemezie Ifeanyi 72 votes (NAGAFF), Dr Farinto Collins Kayode 72 votes (ANLCA), Muftahu Ya’u 91 votes (NAGAFF), Chief Henry Njoku 63 votes (ANLCA), Bala Rabiu Lawan 54 votes (AREFFN), Isikaku Ifeanyi Goddy 52 votes (ANLCA), Kingsley O. Offor 44 votes (ANLCA) and Christopher C. Okafor 26 votes (ANLCA).