The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has sent a congratulatory message to the newly inaugurated Chairman, the Vice Chairman and other newly elected and inaugurated members of Governing Board of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
In a statement, NAGAFF said it will continue to make sacrifices for the sustenance of the CRFFN administration and management noting that the emergence of CRFFN is primarily to bring all contending voices together under a regulation and control despite having become more divided than ever lately.
The statement said although NCDMLCA and NAFFAC failed to secure an elective seat in the just concluded 2022 Council election, there is hope for a new beginning for CRFFN administration.
The statement read in part, “It is to the knowledge of NAGAFF management that the young freight forwarders are highly worried and disturbed over breaches of the law establishing CRFFN administration. We can only but encourage them to keep calm and go about their business peacefully. This is because, whatever that has a beginning must have an end one day.
“Apparently, it may have become an honest mistake on the part of the National Assembly to domicile CRFFN under the Transportation Ministry for supervision. Regret to note that the first Council members may have played into the hands of the Transportation Ministry holding themselves as civil servants.
“Under the circumstance the court declaration that CRFFN is an agency of the government is being misconstrued by the transportation ministry. However, this declaration is being challenged at the appeal court by some members of NAGAFF.
“The good news is that it is alleged that the leadership of the Transportation Ministry may be getting worried as to the court pronouncement whereby Mr. president is not involved in the appointment of the governing board members and so, what makes CRFFN an agency of the government when Mr. president is not the one that appoints them.
“It is a trite law that the leadership of the Council must be through elective processes amongst the Council members. Here we are, the Hon. Minister of Transportation may have continued to appoint the Chairman and Vice of the Council contrary to the provisions of the Act.
“Regret to note that a matter which is pending at the appeal court challenging the competences of the lower court declaration that CRFFN is an agency of government is being presented for amendments at the national assembly.
“This simply means that if national assembly were not adequately informed and alerted the subject matter under contention in court of appeal would have been obtained through the back door.
“Notwithstanding, we congratulate the chairman and the vice and indeed all members of the elected Governing Board. And for the Hon. Minister of Transportation and the Permanent Secretary we only but remind them that power belongs to God. It is our hope that they realise that the constitution of Nigeria which they swore to an oath to uphold shall be their watch word.
“We wish that their back should be better than their front in the service of our country. Their choice of action are voluntary under the circumstance. As Christians, we shall continue to wish them well including the Hon. Minister of Transportation who is vying for a Presidential ticket in the forthcoming APC primary election.”
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