APFFLON calls for reformation of freight forwarding industry
…says CRFFN registrar should resign
By Joy Mmereole Okoli
Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, APFFLON, has called for reformation of the freight forwarding industry as against the focus on accreditation.
APFFLON also said that the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, CRFFN, has overstayed his tenure in office while urging him to proceed on terminal leave.
The National President of APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, said these at a roundtable event orgainsed by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN in Lagos.
His words: “We had a meeting sometimes ago and the purpose of the meeting was for the reformation in the industry. We had issues with the CRFFN in the court and we have started processing to come out of court based on the response that things we want should be done in the Council.
“APFFLON found that a lot people have violated the Council’s Act, for instance it is in section 19 of CRFFN Act, that if you do not pay your subscription within six months, you should be deregistered, we found that so many associations did not pay for years, and they have not been deregistered.
“For God sake, we are not in animal farm. It is people who claim to be accredited and you have an issue which is supposed to be addressed by the Council and you went to court, which automatically earn you expulsion, and it is not being done. Then you want the Council to be effective when people violating the Act.
“There is an issue that need to be addressed, for instance, the registrar is suppose to be leaving the Council because this is his 4th year, he is suppose to have proceed on terminal leave to hand over, while there is suppose to be vacancies for the next Registrar but we do not know the collaboration between the Permanent Secretary and the Registrar that they are keeping them.
“There are a lot of allegations against the Registrar, we did not see the outcome; we are just incommunicado. So it is not accreditation that matters to APFFLON but reformation of the industry, we want to be proud of our industry.
“We can rate those that have been accredited, what are their achievements? What are they doing? Accreditation is little to APFFLON what is important is reformations. His tenure is ending, he should proceed on terminal leave, we need reformation, and we want the Council to work. We are ashamed to present our Council; with other peoples Council like the lawyers, engineers etc.
“Look at the issue of International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association, FIATA, how can the Council be representing us in FIATA? It is never done; it is suppose to be an umbrella for all the freight forwarders than to be representing us at FIATA. There is an extent to which professionals can make decision in the Council because government has half and we have half. So how do we agree to disagree? So the issue for APFFLON is reformation of the industry.
“There is no accredited association in this country because all of them are not competent to be accredited. While we have paid for our subscription, some of them have not paid theirs, and the Act says if you do not pay your subscriptions, you will be deregistered. They said the only qualified association is APFFLON.
“I am telling you that APFFLON is even over qualified, we have over 1000 members and that makes us up to date. Most of them are inactive except APFFLON.”
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