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.