CRFFN: CREFFPON HAILS JUDGEMENT DISMISSING SUIT FOR TENURE ELONGATION
***Says it’s a healthy development in the freight forwarding sub-sector
BY Mcanthony ONUOHA
The Congress of Registered Freight Forwarding Practitioners Of Nigeria- CREFFPON, has welcomed with satisfaction,the High Court judgement dismissing a suit seeking tenure elongation for members of the governing Board of Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
THE REGISTRAR OF CRFFN, BARR. SAM NWAKOHU
In the Certified True Copy made available to press, the judge, Justice N.E Maha, dismissed the suit for lacking in merits, he also declared that the interpretation of the CRFFN Act okays two years tenure only and not four years.
The plaintiffs had approached the court seeking to be in the Council for four years instead of two years, while also asking the court for an order restraining CRFFN from dissolving and reconstituting membership of the council’s governing Council.
Meanwhile, CREFFPON, in a press release made available to The Prestige Blended Magazine, described the court judgement as a healthy development in the Freight Forwarding sector; calling on the management of CRFFN to take immediate action by commencing a process that would usher in fresh members of the Council’s governing board.
CREFFPON advised that the management of the council should liaise with the Honourable Minister of Transportation, who is the supervisory minister to CRFFN, to set a motion that would commence a process for organizing a fresh governing council election as provided in the enabling act without further delay; pointing out that the dismissed suit had earlier stampeded the electioneering process.
Also, CREFFPON disclosed a privileged information on its table that the non- council actors have been consulting amongst themselves, with an intent to renegotiate with the reappointed ministerial appointees in the Council or beseech a higher court to appeal the judgement.
The movement condemned as entirely self seeking, the intending moves by the larger components of the supposedly elected leaders of the freight forwarding profession cum practitioners.
Furthermore, the advocacy group requested the management team of CRFFN to declare any administrative decisions taken by the expired governing council beyond their tenure as null and void, especially any Constitution of a biased Electoral Committee.
Continuing, CREFFPON urged the management of CRFFN, to in line with the oath of office, ensure that it exercises professional administrative sanctions against perceived leaders as provided in the enabling act and official regulations; for instigating frivolous litigation against the council, thereby stagnating administrative well-being of the profession and professionals while the litigation lasted.
In addition, the group equally requested the Registrar and his management team to further enforce the administrative processes for the immediate recovery of the Council vehicles in their possession to the pool, which it said was among other contemplated fears that actually triggered the court action, ab-initio.
Meanwhile, CREFFPON, in the statement, reminded Freight Forwarders that a pending case at high court seeking the judicial interpretation of the Section 2 of the Act 16,2007, is due for judicial consideration soonest, and assured that the judicial decision would put to rest all contentious issues and agitations surrounding the Act.
Nevertheless, the group appealed to freight Forwarders to make it a professional duty to always rise in defense of the freight forwarding profession.
