Freight Forwarders wait on CRFFN to avert impending service disruption at ports

The five registered freight forwarding associations under the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) have threatened to embark on service withdrawal if compromise is not reached in the executive meeting slated for Friday.

Recall that the Council on Wednesday had intervened in trying to curtail the strike but the freight forwarders believed that the mediators were not fair in their mediation.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the Registrar of CRFFN, Barrister Sam Nwakohu had said that the Council was going into executive meeting with the representatives of the shipping companies and the accredited associations.

But the steering committe instituted by the five associations had at a press conference stated that they were not comfortable with the mediation of the Council,  saying if CRFFN had done its bit, the problems of the associations would have been solved.

The five accredited associations said to be represented at the meeting include; Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (AREFFN), National Association of Freight Forwarders and Air Consolidators (NAFFAC) and the National Counc of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA).

“If we are unable to reach compromise on Friday, that means the strike continues.

“CRFFN is supposed to be the regulator of freight forwarders, they need to be up and doing because if they are, it will solve most of the problems of the associations

“CRFFN should rise up to its responsibility and stop protecting them because what I saw there was protection.

“The meeting went well but there will be another executive meeting on Friday where some decisions will be taken but I want tell you decision will be taken on Friday.

“The issue of demurrage and excess charges have been on for a very long time but I think this is the time we want to get it right because the five registered associations have been working individually, but we have now come together as one.

“The meeting of Friday will involve the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, the economic regulator and we are going to deal with it holistically” a source close to the feuding parties said.