The Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Importers-Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC) has called on the Federal Government to order the governing board members of the Council for the Regulations of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to vacate office after their tenure expires.
Recall that the present council members were inaugurated by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, in October 2018 for a two-year term in office, which ended last year. They have since engaged in a series of moves to elongate their stay in office, one of which was the push for the amendment to the Act of the council where they seek a four-year term.
Irked by the move, some stakeholders have accused the officials of insincerity, noting that it is illegal for members of the governing council to perpetuate themselves in office or keep in possession government properties after the expiration of their tenure in 2020.
The National President, SNFFIEC, Osita Patrick Chukwu, in a chat with The Guardian, said despite the governing board of the council’s failure to address issues affecting freight forwarding since their inauguration, they have refused to vacate office, which is against the Act of the CRFFN.
Chukwu cited the relevant section of the Act, which states that: “There shall be a chairman and vice-chairman of the Council who shall be nominated and elected by members of the Council, and shall each hold office for a term of two years from the date of the election, and the chairman shall preside over the meetings of the Council, so however that in the event of the death, incapacity or inability for any reason of the chairman, the vice-chairman shall act as chairman for the unexpired portion of the term of office.”
He said having contravened the Act, the group had initiated a move to drag CRFFN to court over tenure expiration, noting that the Federal Government had failed to effectively monitor activities of the agency.
