Business

Council Of Forwarders Lifts Suspension On Members

Published

14 years ago

December 13, 2011

Chairman Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Alhaji Hakeem Olanrewaju said on Sunday in Abuja the council was prepared to re-admit members suspended on account of professional misconduct.

Olanrewaju said the suspended members would join the council after some conditions had been met.

The council suspended three of its members in September 2011 following what it described as ‘anti-council activities’ inimical to the sustainable growth of CRFFN.

Olanrewaju said the CRFFN Act 16 of 2007 which established the council was meant to standardise the business of freight forwarding and ensure that practitioners complied with the relevant portions of the Act.

He said the council’s goal was to attain international best practices in freight forwarding because “all we are doing are within international borders and within trade.

Olanrewaju said this was why the council made all efforts and got registered as a member of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA).

He explained that FIATA was the world body for regulating freight forwarding, just as FIFA regulates football.

“The benefits we have there are training, interacting with other members in other countries; easy access. I think those are the benefits.

“Nigeria has been applying for almost 19 years, because we have different associations, but most cannot meet their requirements in becoming a member.

“But, fortunately, in 2007, when the council was formed, we applied to FIATA.

“Before then they said they have written to the government that we have multiple associations writing to FIATA to be a member and they want, like other countries having only one association speaking with one voice being a member.

“By 2007 and after we were inaugurated in 2008, we put in our application and they go through it and they say they still want a letter from the government to confirm if we are genuinely the freight forwarders that speak with one voice and represent the interest of the country which the minister of transport then did and we were admitted in Bangkok in 2009.’’

In his remarks, Mr. Mike Jukwe, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the council said that the Federal Government had confirmed the council as one of its statutory agencies.

Jukwe said that the confirmation announced by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, lay to rest controversies over the status of the council.

“This controversy had trailed the council right from the time the Act was passed.

“But quite recently a Federal High Court in Lagos the court in its ruling said clearly that CRFFN is a public institution.

“And we had cause to seek an interpretation from the Honorable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and he also wrote back and said going through the Act enabling your council and he concluded by saying that CRFFN is a statutory regulatory agency of government under the direction of the Federal Ministry of Transport.

“So that controversy has been put to rest.’’

On funding, he said the council was being funded 100 per cent by the Federal Government from the federation account.

According to him, Section 10 of the CRFFN Act states clearly that the council submits its budget to the Federal Ministry of Transport.

Jukwe explained that the budget would go through legislative processes and the Appropriation Act would be passed.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Transport also set up a committee to explore ways the council could raise funds.

The Registrar said areas of transaction charges and practicing fees were fashioned out by the ministry so that the council would be able to have enough funds for maintenance and to also to contribute to the federation account.

According to him, Section 10 of the CRFFN Act states clearly that the council submits its budget to the Federal Ministry of Transport.

Jukwe explained that the budget would go through legislative processes and the Appropriation Act would be passed.

He added that the Federal Ministry of Transport also set up a committee to explore ways the council could raise funds.

“We are also working a university in the UK to see if we can come up with courses, because as long as we are training people professionally we also have to train people academically those that will go round again to train the professionals.

“So we are looking at the possibility of coming up with a B. Sc, M. Sc and PhD in freight forwarding; these will be introduced for the first time in this country, they are not offered at all.

Jukwe noted that all academic and professional programmes would have to be approved by the International Federation of freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA).

He said that the council would continue to encourage those who had low academic and professional qualifications to upgrade, while it worked out modalities for admitting new members.

He said the council gradually raise the bar for admission of practitioners in the sector to a level universally acceptable and as obtainable in the other professions in the country.

Jukwe emphasised that the future of freight forwarding in Nigeria was in Nigeria was in the training of practitioners both academically and professionally.

The council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria was established by the CRFFN Act No. 16 of 2007 as practitioners’ regulatory council.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.