Dr Boniface Aniebonam, Founder of the National Association of Government Approve Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), has slammed the Electoral Committee for the election into the Governing Board of Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN).
In a press conference in Lagos, the NAGAFF founder expressed worries over the arrangement and advised both the Federal Government and the Electoral Committee to make consultations with relevant stakeholders in order to make good and appropriate decisions for the conduct of the elections.
According to Dr Aniebonam, “Lagos is the hub and the volume of people moving from Lagos to Abuja will be too much. Abuja is not the appropriate place to do it now given the security situation in the country. The road network across the country is not good and I don’t know how many people can afford to go by Air.”
He emphasised that CRFFN is a professional body, an Agency of Government established to regulate the practice of freight forwarding in Nigeria.
The NAGAFF founder however expressed worries that CRFFN needs to be alive to its responsibility as a regulator to stop the influx of non-freight forwarders into the profession.
He said”I expect the electoral committee for the Elections to seek interaction with registered Associations. The best option now is for the electoral committee to use the existing register for the purpose of the Election to ensure that non-freightforwarders do not vote ”
He however expressed optimism that NAGAFF is ready for the CRFFN Governing board Election to help reposition the council to ensure standards, professionalism and sustainable freight forwarding practice in Nigeria.
He confirmed that ten NAGAFF members have picked forms to seek Election into the CRFFN.
Dr Anoebonam advocated for the movement of CRFFN from the Transport ministry to the ministry of Trade & investment to enable the council to perform its primary and. regulatory functions effectively.