Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the permanent secretary at the ministry of Transportation addressing issues at the occasion.
Story by Dili Utomi.
The meeting between the different associations/ interests and the ministry of transportation which was organised to iron out the issues originating from the impending election into the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) ended at the Eko hotel venue of the event without a resolution, but an ultimatum by the representative of the minister of transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani giving the disagreeing freight forwarding and licensed customs agents two weeks to go and agree on modalities for the election.
ANLCA president, Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike reading the agreement to the audience.
Dr. Ajani started the meeting by telling all present that main the reason for gathering was to talk about the upcoming election into the board of the CRFFN , that the election had to be truncated in order for them to have talks with stakeholders to discuss the modus operandi on electing the 15 members to represent freight forwarders on the board. One of the representatives of the ministry also indicated that the committee on the election had gone far to sell nomination forms to individuals to contest the election, but that there has been a lot of calls by stakeholders to meet with them, hence the decision to have this meeting to discuss all the processes that should be put in place, the eligibility of voters and the candidates before the election.
Dr. Aniebonam making his points.
Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) read the position paper by the 5 registered associations and indicated that they have all agreed to share the slots into the board in the ratio of 6,6,1,1,1 . This ratio means that the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) will have 6 slots, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) 6 slots, the Nigeria Association of Airfreight Consolidators (NAFFAC) 1, the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) 1, and the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) 1.
Otunba Frank Ogunojemite stating his position at the event.
Although all the registered associations were seated together at a round table, the seeming peaceful atmosphere in the hall was shattered when the president of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria, Bala Lawan Daura stood up to say that his association did not endorse the arrangement as stated by the ANLCA president and from then on there were a whole lot against and for the said arrangement.
Mr. Bala Lawan Daura making his association’s stand known to all.
Chief Eugene Nweke, a former president of NAGAFF advocates for the individual person to contest and not through associations. Otunba Frank Ogunojemite of the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) also wants the individual person to contest the election.
A cross section of participants at the event.
Then Mr. Tahir Dauda agrees with those advocating for the individual person to contest and also added that he disagrees with the sharing formula for seats, but that rather the seats should be shared equally as 3,3,3,3,3 to all the registered associations. Frank Obikezie of the AREFFN agrees with them all. Godfrey Emeka Nwosu of APFFLON also indicated that the 2018 experiment of sharing positions never produced the desired result. He said that there has been a lot people who have been registered to vote at the elections and who are ot freight forwarders.
On the other side, you had voices of people like Dr. Boniface Okey Aniebonam going through the history of the CRFFN and the elections for the 15 positions. Dr. Aniebonam enumerated the various meetings and compromises that the associations have had before and the one they had two days before this particular meeting and concluded that it was in the spirit of give and take and the consideration that there might be greater crisis if an agreement was not reached that they eventually meet to agree with the seat sharing formula. He also touched on the proposed Abuja venue for the election and stated that over 85 % of freight forwarders are based in the South West particularly Lagos and so consideration should be given about the security, safety and cost implications of members travelling to Abuja for the election. Chief Festus Ukwu of the NCMDLCA says that he stands for the agreement and that size and spread were factors used in the allocation of slots, he appeals for more time for further consultation. Chief Paulinus Dike wants group regulation and so the agreement should stand.
More pictures from the event.
Dr. Kayode Farinto advised that stakeholders should disabuse their minds and should be careful not to create unnecessary tension. He said that the big associations have spread and the smaller ones do not have that and asked that they put in the effort to get bigger as he also asked the yet to be registered ones to make effort to do it. He concluded by stating that different States of the Federation get different share of the Value Added Tax because they do not all generate the same VAT income as he asked individual persons to join associations.
Dr. Magdalene Ajani second from right addressing the stakeholders.
Dr. Magdalene Ajani noted that every comment and position has been taken, but that the time table may not work because as she said “You need to go back and talk to yourselves because we know that election should be the basis for representation”. She asked the ‘fathers in the house’ to rise above the occasion and let maturity rule. She concluded that the time for the election is not going to be open ended and so gave everyone two weeks to go and discuss and agree before a new timetable for election is scheduled and she hinted on efforts to decentralize the election, but that the integrity of the election will not be compromised.
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