As part of efforts to ensure transparency in the upcoming Governing Council elections of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), the African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) has constituted an election task force in partnership with other freight forwarding associations.
Speaking with journalists at the APFFLON Secretariat in Lagos, the National President, APFFLON, Mr. Frank Ogunojemite said the initiative is to curb malpractices and possible rigging of the forthcoming CRFFN Governing Council elections.
APFFLON, however, maintained that Abuja is the right venue to host the election as it will limit the influx of unqualified people, riff raffs, and touts who could have been easily mobilized to cause chaos and rig the election results in Lagos.
The group also revealed that a Letter of Commendation has been sent to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the entire leadership of the ministry for their commitment towards organizing a credible election.
According to Ogunojemite, the Ministry’s decision to have the process open to individual members of CRFFN is also a commendable one as it gives more qualified people opportunities, curbs the practice of godfatherism and the high-level gimmicks of some freight forwarding groups.
“As part of efforts to collaborate with the Transport Ministry in a bid to attain hitch-free elections organized in a credible manner, APFFLON in partnership with other freight forwarding associations has constituted an Election Taskforce to curb possible malpractices.”
“This group of like-minded people across the various associations has formed this task force which is a demonstration of the togetherness among freight forwarding practitioners with the singular goal of having a credible Governing Council election that would lead to a stable and more productive CRFFN.
“As advocates of ease of doing business, we will project the best interest of the Transport Ministry which is the organization of a credible electoral process because we will expose any effort to hijack or disorganize the polls.
“Despite the claims that having the impending election in Abuja poses logistics constraints, APFFLON fully endorses the Abuja venue because it would limit the influx of riff raffs and touts that could have been easily mobilized to cause chaos in Lagos,” the letter stated.
APFFLON also suggested that subsequent elections should be automated in line with the global best standards for such development.
“Utilizing online strategies for the polls will also reduce human interface amid the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and display the level of innovation that CRFFN and the Transport Ministry deserve,” the group added.
