Fresh Crisis Rocks CRFFN as NAGAFF Mulls Legal Action Over Governing Council Election

ABIOLA Seun

There is palpable tension among clearing agents as the leadership of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) is considering a legal action against the Ministry of Transport over the appointment of the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) last week.

The Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi had announced the appointment of Rtd Col. Tsani Abubakar as the Chairman of the Governing Board while subjecting the position of the Vice Chairman of the Board to election.

The Association believes that the action of the Minister was against the provisions of the CRFFN Act which states that the Chairman of the Board should come from the elected council members and not an appointee of the government.

A source in NAGAFF said the action of the Minister was an ambush to the Bill before the National Assembly which seeks to change the provisions of the CRFFN Act on the issue of who becomes the Chairman of the Board.

The Bill when passed into law will give government the power to appoint the Chairman of the Board instead of the current provision in which the Chairman emerges from the elected council members.

But, NAGAFF in a statement Sunday recalled that a former staff of the Ministry, Mrs Ezenwa had wanted to contest the CRFFN election in the past but was disqualified for not meeting the constitutional provision as a government appointee.

According to the association, this was also the same for the former NAGAFF President, Dr. Eugene Nweke who had wanted to contest as a member of the CRFFN Board but was disqualified because he was an appointee representing the South East zone.

NAGAFF said the decision of the Minister to disregard the provisions of the CRFFN Act on who becomes the Chairman of the Board was unfortunate coming from the government.

A member of the CRFFN Board and board chieftain of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA) Chief Henry Njoku is Abubakar’s Vice Chairman.

Njoku beat the President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Increase Uche with 21 votes to become the Vice Chairman