CRFFN Governing Board: Council Members Say Act Disallow Govt Appointed Candidates To Contest For Chairmanship

Government appointed freight forwarder, Rtd Col TSani Abubakar, who is contesting the chairmanship position in the governing board of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) seems to be facing hurdles.

This is as a result of the current position of some elected council members who have drawn the attention of CRFFN Registrar, Sir Mike Jukwe, to the provision in the Council’s Act that an appointed member cannot contest for the chairmanship of the board. Hence,  based on the CRFFN Act, Abubakar is not qualified to contest for the position.

According to the freight forwarders, including council members, the ACT forbids those appointed by the government from contesting either as chairman or vice chairman.

They referred to the case of the former President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke, who wanted to contest the chairmanship of the board some years ago but was stopped because he was appointed by the government.

An elected member said, “The Act is specific that contestants must be elected members for chairman and vice chairman. It is not an issue of whether you are just a member of CRFFN. Dr Eugene Nweke wanted to contest but was disqualified because he was appointed by the government. Therefore, it will be an absurd for the CRFFN leadership to qualify Abubakar to contest the election when it was the same Council that disqualified Nweke from contesting few years back for the same issue. That will contradict the Act.”

Abubakar who is seen as the anointed one with the backing enjoyed from the leadership of CRFFN and others had earlier described the criticisms against its candidacy as baseless.

He had said he is more qualified than any other freight forwarder to take the position, considering that he is coming from the federal government side.