CRFFN Not Government Agency -Dr.Aniebonam
*Sets Agenda For Sambo.
By Frank Odinukaeze
The Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Chairman of the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP),Dr.Boniface Aniebonam, has declared that the Council For Freight Forwarding In Nigeria (CRFFN) is not a government agency.
Dr Aniebonam stated this on Monday at a Round Table discussion organised by the Martine Journalists Association of Nigeria ( MAJAN),held at NAGAFF Village,in Apapa Lagos.
He noted that the CRFFN,is a waste of government fund , because”It is not achieving the mandate for which it was set up by the Honourable members,wise men and women of the Senate,who sat down and made that Act.”
The NNPP and NAGAFF founder posits that CRFFN is the heart of port operations, because it occupies a strategic aspect of port function and Management.
He called on the Minister of Transportation,Jaji Sambo to write his name in gold by taking bold step of investigating whether CRFFN was originally meant to be a government agency.
” Let him write phis name in gold.Though he has about seven months to go ,that seven months might be an avenue for him to leave an indelible mark on the sands of time”he said.
Dr.Aniebonam noted that Hassan Bello ,when he was the legal adviser in the Nigerian Shippers’ Council( NSC),advised at the time, some people were pushing for the CRFFN to become an agency of government,but nobody listened to him.
He said even those who were proponents of CRFFN becoming a government agency will tell you today that CRFFN is not a government agency.
“Those of them that are elected into the Council,know that CRFFN is not a government agency.”Dr Aniebonam said.
He argued that the court ruling on the issue does not diminish the substance of a legislative instrument, stressing that the ruling of the court regarding the status of CRFFN was misinterpreted and they quickly grabbed it and began to propel it that way.
“My only agenda for Sambo is that if we don’t get it right with CRFFN,thought of port development will be like building castle in the air.The whole of them who are members of CRFFN will tell you on one on one ,that CRFFN is not an agency of government .Then ,why are they regarding it as such? Therefore,Sambo,the Honourable Minister should go and find out whether CRFFN is a government agency.The people who made the law are still there.Go and make inquiry and know whether we are doing the right thing.How can government itself be breaking the law?That is why some of us in NNPP is working very hard because speaking from outside does not add value .We need to speak from inside” he said.
On what innovation or transformation the NNPP government or any other government would bring to the transport sector,Dr Aniebonam said”At this point in time,we need to change the way we are doing things.It’s not about us now,it’s about the stakeholders.We are talking about social contract here.Kwakwanso will come to address the maritime operators,transport operators ,Customs,agents and all stakeholders in the industry.On that day,tell him what you want and that will be the social contract between the maritime Industry and the NNPP”he said
He called on the media to join the movement and support the New Nigeria People’s Party ( NNPP).
On how the NNPP led government would tackle the issue of insecurity particularly as it concerns the transportation sector,the NAGAFF founder said “It’s not about getting there,but it’s about what you will do when you get there.Do you have the courage ?Kwakwanso is a very courageous person to have left PDP,APC,and come to join the NNPP,he has courage.And that’s how you know a man .He is going to take decisions, difficult decisions”he said.
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