Amaechi Lacks Powers To Appoint CRFFN Governing Board Leadership

A former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr Eugene Nweke has stated that the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi lacked legal powers to appoint the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Governing Board of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).

Nweke condemned the imposed leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Tsanni and Chief Henry Njoku by Amaechi at the inauguration of the 4th Governing Council of CRFFN which was held recently in Abuja.

According to reports the Transport Minister simply walked into the conference room to announce that Tsanni and Njoku who presided over the 3rd Governing Council should continue and no one opposed his position.

However, in an open letter to the Minister, Nweke described the Minister’s action as a deliberate compromise and willful disregard for the extant provisions of Act 16 2007, section 2 (a)(b) and section 3(5).

Nweke stated that the CRFFN Act in Section 2 stipulated that the Governing Board chairman and vice-chairman should be elected and not appointed by the Minister.

Section 2 Subsection 1 (a) states that “one person who shall be elected by the Council from members of the Council as Chairman” and (b) posits that “one person who shall be elected by the Council from members of the Council as Vice-chairman.”

The former NAGAFF President stressed that he read through the CRFFN Act but could not see any section or subsection that conferred on the Minister such powers to appoint Chairman and Vice Chairman for the regulatory governing council of the CRFFN.

“Based on the said report, by suggesting and using such phrase as “maintaining status quo” implies that this is a continuation of the 3rd Governing Council endorsed by you for the completion of the controversial four years tenure which was canvassed for by 95% of returned members, invariably, the earlier court decision on tenure elongation is a mere formality, judging by your action.’

“Honorable Minister, your open endorsement of a “status quo ante” cast a serious integrity and due process questions on the recent compromised election for 15 Freight Forwarders into the Governing Council under your purview,” Nweke said.