By Kenneth Jukpor
An investigative report by the Ministry of Transportation on the numerous atrocities allegedly perpetuated by the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Barr. Samuel Nwakohu, is said to have advised the CRFFN boss to resign.
The National President of African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics in Nigeria (APFFLON), Mr. Frank Ogunojemite revealed this during an exclusive chat with our correspondent earlier today.
A committee set up by the Ministry of Transportation and chaired by its Director, Human Resources Management, Mr. Muhiy-deen Awwal, had recently submitted a report which recommended the resignation of the CRFFN Registrar.
Our correspondent gathered that the Transport Minister, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi has also demanded another executive report after receiving the committee’s report on the investigation on the CRFFN boss and other activities at the Council.
Meanwhile, APFFLON has encouraged Amaechi to take a decisive action on the report of the investigation panel investigating and demanded that the findings be made public to address the alleged financial misappropriation, falsification of results and other claims leveled against the CRFFN boss.
The freight forwarding group also called on the Minister to utilize the same approach deployed at Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) with the Managing Director, Hadiza Bala-Usman suspended to allow for proper investigations.
“At this point, we expect that the Minister should direct the CRFFN Registrar to resign or step aside until the investigation is concluded. Isn’t that what happened at NPA? There is no doubt that the allegations leveled against Nwakohu are far more grievous that the NPA Managing Director,” Ogunojemite said.
He, however, stressed that the Transport Ministry should not treat the reports on the CRFFN Registrar with kid gloves, as the allegations of fraud has portrayed CRFFN and the freight forwarding industry in a bad light.
“Why is Transport Ministry keeping the findings secret? Why haven’t they made the report public? APFFLON also advise the Registrar to step aside or resign because it sends a wrong signal about his personality if things remain hidden. What kind of signals are we sending to the other agencies in the industry and the nation at large,” Ogunojemite queried.
Nwakohu was accused of employing thirteen ghost workers, seizing workers allowances in excess of N15million and financial misappropriation, specifically to have single handedly organized a fake training for selected CRFFN officials that cost N109million.
Some aggrieved members of staff at the Council revealed this in a petition sent to the Chairman of the Governing Council of CRFFN and the Ministry of Transportation, even as they accused the CRFFN Registrar of several financial misappropriations and discrimination against men.
The document dated August 20th, 2020 obtained by our correspondent was signed by CRFFN top management staff including the Deputy Director, Finance and Accounts, Dr. Abah George, Head of Internal Audit, Mr. Agor Gideon, Head of Research and Development, Mr. Leo Anigbo, Head of Administration/ Human Resources, Mr. Ben Ojumah and the Head of Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Chinyere Uromta.
