Maritime
FREIGHT FORWADERS CRISIS: Association Backs CRFFN Over Tenure Elongation
LAGOS: Even as controversies surrounding the tenure of the current governing council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) continues, the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) has once again defended the council saying that it is still operating within its given time.
AREFFN president, Dr. Frank Ukor in an interview with Biztellers today defended the CRFFN saying that there is a misunderstanding on the part of some stakeholders over the actual date that the tenure of the governing council should expire.
He also condemned the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) for calling for an interim set up to take over the affairs of the council, according to him, this is not in the Act setting up the Council.
“I dont know why everybody is talking about tenure elongation, as far as i am concerned there is no tenure elongation,the present council were innaugurated on the 24th of November 2010 and they are supposed to last for two years, so the tenure is expiring on the 23rd of November this year, so nobody has elongated anything” he corrected.
Dr. Ukor also noted that the council had always been rocked by crisis and that this has led to distractions for the present governing board, apart from these, he argued that the council does not have enough money to conduct elections.
“People calling for the dissolving of the council are only trying to go into the council through the back door” he alleged.
According to him, the minister of transport cannot equally dissolve the council because their tenure has not elapsed ” if he does anything outside the Act it will lead to trouble and people will go to court”
While reacting to the threat by NAGAFF to report the ongoing crisis to the International Federation of Freight Forwarding Associations (FIATA) Dr. Ukor said that the NAGAFF is wasting its time because FIATA has not power to meddle in internal affairs of members states.
“What can fiata do? the body is not interested in internal arrangement of each country, this is an internal arrangement, so why would fiata be worried about tenure elongation” he wondered.
Dr. Ukor however advised that for the freight forwarding industry to experience peace and transquility, the two associations; NAGAFF and the ANLCA needs to identify that they are not the only associations in the sector and that they must corporate with other associations.
“When they come down from their high horses and realise that all of us are equal before the law then we can now come together and reason together to move forward”
Speaking, he said that “There is bound to be wrangling in the industry, when NAGAFF got accreditation through an MoU not that they qualified, but immediately they got it they went on air calling other associations mushroom, let these people (NAGAFF and ANLCA) come down from their othopiac hieghts and know that there are other associations, irrespective of their number”
The Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola has deposited three Instruments of Accession to IMO Conventions signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the global body.
He did so on Tuesday, at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which acts as the repository for these conventions.
This move, coming a few weeks after Nigeria declared its intention to contest election for a seat on the IMO Council, is expected to enhance Nigeria’s maritime governance and align its practices with international standards, promoting maritime safety, security, and environmental protection.
Shortly after the presentation ceremonies, Oyetola informed the IMO Secretary General, Arsenio Dominguez, of the President’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria aligns with international maritime standards regarding maritime safety, security, and sustainable marine practices.
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He also called on the IMO to extend technical support to Nigeria.
In his words, “These instruments, duly acceded by His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, signify Nigeria’s continued commitment to aligning with international maritime standards, ensuring maritime safety and security, and promoting sustainable marine practices.
“We hereby request tailored technical cooperation under the Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) to enhance Nigeria’s compliance with IMO conventions and improve our maritime governance and implementation of the instruments we submitted today.”
On his part, Dominguez, acknowledged with appreciation the formal deposition of the Instruments of Accession, stating that it underscores Nigeria’s steadfast commitment to aligning with global maritime standards.
“I congratulate Nigeria for its exceptional efforts in acceding to these six critical IMO instruments. I encourage continued momentum by securing presidential assent to additional key conventions. We at the IMO remains fully committed to supporting Nigeria through technical cooperation and capacity-building initiatives to ensure the successful implementation of these instruments,” he stated.
The instruments Oyetola handed over to Dominguez include the instrument of accession to the 2005 Protocol to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA Protocol 2005), the instrument of accession to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F), and the instrument of accession to the Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances Other Than Oil (Intervention Protocol 1973).
It was gathered that three other Instruments of Accession signed by President Tinubu are undergoing further steps to complete the processes for their deposit.
Funds accrued under the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) are intact and currently held with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Single Treasury Account (TSA).
This assertion was made by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
The clarification became necessary to address “a misleading publication alleging that funds have disappeared from the CVFF account”.
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The statement reads, in part, “The report of a missing money is both misleading and false.
“For the record, the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, securely held in the NIMASA account at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), remains intact. There has been no disappearance of funds, and no illegal transactions, as the article suggests. This misinformation is a figment of the authors imagination, aimed at undermining NIMASA’s integrity, and mislead the public about the Agency’s operations.
“The Management of NIMASA will ensure that the CVFF is utilised in line with its statutory purpose. NIMASA Director General, Dr Mobereola has assured stakeholders of the safety of funds under the CVFF.”
The statement cited the DG thus, “Let us be clear that the CVFF account at the Central Bank of Nigeria is safe, intact, and secure. We at NIMASA will continue to manage it with the utmost responsibility, and there are no irregularities or illegal activities surrounding the funds. I urge the public to disregard this false narrative and to continue trusting the Agency’s ability to uphold the integrity of Nigeria’s maritime sector”.
It was gathered that the CVFF is a fund established under section 42 of the Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act 2003 to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity and to provide credit facilities to local maritime operators.
The NIMASA, assured of its commitment “to transparency, accountability, and the advancement of Nigeria’s maritime sector.”
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo appears eager to deliver the dividends of democracy to his constituents.
This is discernible from the frenzy of activities being witnessed in his first few days on the job, including dissolution of boards, constitution of investigative panels, flagging off of infrastructure projects, among others.
In the bid to address the perennial road traffic congestion negatively impacting economic and social activities in Benin City, the state capital, Gov Okpebholo on Wednesday flagged off the construction of a flyover bridge.
Biztellers reports that the flyover bridge around the popular Ramat Park in the city centre is the first of such in the history of Edo State.
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The Edo State Government made the disclosure in its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday.
It wrote, “Traffic decongestion: Gov Okpebholo flags off first flyover in Edo.
“Edo State Governor, Sen. Monday Okpebholo has flagged off the construction of a flyover bridge at Ramat Park, Benin City, the State Capital, as part of immediate efforts to reduce traffic congestion in the city.”
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