Attraction to CRFFN is Corruption Induced by Present Govt, Says Ex-Board Chairman
Pic 3 Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi briefing State House Correspondnts after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday (2/1/18) 0015/2/1/2018/Callistus Ewelike/NAN
Former Chairman of the Board of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Fwdr Hakeem Olanrewaju, Thursday said that attraction to the proceeds of corruption was the reason why many freight forwarders have been jostling to be elected into the agency.
Olanrewaju said such corruption was designed by the present administration, adding that this could be seen in the CRFFN by bloated annual budgets for projects that are hardly executed.
In a press statement, he said the current budget of the Council was surprising compared with how the body started its administrative life between 2008 and 2012 with average budget of #200m to #250m.
He said that out of this amount, the Council was able to recruit staffs and pay salaries, purchase official vehicles and carry out capacity buildings, among other programmes.
He added that with the low budget, the council was able to formalize membership of FIATA, rent offices across the zones with head offices rented in Lagos and Abuja.
Olanrewaju lamented that the current annual budget of the Council was far above that of FIATA yearly budget, a situation he described as an irony of professional inclination.
According to him, this problem was caused by the government, adding that the government was massively corrupting the freight forwarders with a motive to enjoy an over-bloated budget.
He added that this was the reason why many freight forwarders now want to be in the board of the Council .
According to the statement, “Let me shock you, by saying that, the Government is massively corrupting the leadership of the freight forwarders cum the Practitioners, doing so in an obvious subtle manner aka over inflated project contracts and elephant projects.
“Consequently, the Practitioners now find it much rewarding and most profitable to do everything humanly possible to get elected into the Governing Council rather than face its Professional Practices”.
He said this growing trend was dangerous and should be stopped.
He added, “ In my mind this is rather a DELIBERATE Professional distraction caused by the government. What happens when another government comes to power and discovers that, this present trending of setting up edifices which in the future cannot be sustainable, for a prudent professional Practitioners whose activities are service related is a mere waste of public fund?”
Below is the full text of the statement:
“CRFFN YEARLY BUDGET – GOVERNMENT SUBTLY CORRUPTING THE FREIGHT FORWARDING PRACTITIONERS.
Approximately the amount used to kick start the administrative life of the CRFFN between the year 2008 to 2012 ( of the first and second Governing Council) is in the average of #200m to #250m.
Out of this approximated amount; staffs were recruited and salaries promptly paid, official vehicles were purchased, capacity buildings programs were conducted,. membership with FIATA formalized, office structures, were rented across the zones, and operation head offices rented in Lagos and Abuja, International Professional exchange programs attended, etc.
Experiences has shown that administering a professional Council of our size was never a rocket science in terms of massive and over bloated yearly budgetary, as presently obtains.
As a professional Regulatory Council and from what is obtainable else where amongst the comity of freight forwarding nation’s, we do not really need all this gigantic edifices ( tagged headquarters & zonal administrative offices and institutes ) being put in place.
What governs a professional Council is the principle of discipline, transparency, moderation and prudency especially when it comes to financial management, and not the spirit of negligence, squandering and recklessness.
Idealy in a viable and competitive freight forwarding Profession, most of the said on going projects are actually projects that the Practitioners through visionary leadership of the CRFFN can easily attract through international donations via our international participation in the global freight forwarding advancement programs and empowerment schemes.
In the local front, with an ideal financial administration, this said projects are achievable subject to Professional administrative planning, budgeting and execution via visionary leadership.
As a professional Council, we are supposedly careful and conscious to budget and expense in likely equation and correspondence with our yearly income via yearly subscriptions, enforcement of regulatory sanctions, sales of professional publications, Professional levies, donations , corporate brand materials, etc?.
It is disheartening to note that, 12 years after the registration of the CRFFN with the umbrella body, the FIATA, what we can point to the International body , who had conclude a trained the trainer program, followed by the accreditation of Professional training institutions across the geo Political Zones of the Nation, is an endless ongoing projects of the CRFFN.
What a shame of a profession, even worse, when we discover that, even the CRFFN yearly budgetary is way far above that of FIATA yearly budgetary, what an irony of Professional inclination.
Let me shock you, by saying that, the Government is massively corrupting the leadership of the freight forwarders cum the Practitioners, doing so in an obvious subtle manner aka over inflated project contracts and elephant projects.
Consequently, the Practitioners now finds it much rewarding and most profitable to do everything humanly possible to get elected into the Governing Council rather than face its Professional Practices.
This growing trends is dangerous and a professional albatross has to be stopped.
In my mind this is rather a DELIBERATE Professional distraction caused by the government. What happens when another government comes to power and discovers that, this present trending of setting up edifices which in the future cannot be sustsinable, for a prudent professional Practitioners whose activities are service related is a mere waste of public fund?
This deliberate dubbing our legitimate Professional Council as a quango Professional Council by Government operatives has to stop.
In due course we shall institute a process that will engender probity by the concerned authorities”.
Olanrewaju said such corruption was designed by the present administration, adding that this could be seen in the CRFFN by bloated annual budgets for projects that are hardly executed.
In a press statement, he said the current budget of the Council was surprising compared with how the body started its administrative life between 2008 and 2012 with average budget of #200m to #250m.
He said that out of this amount, the Council was able to recruit staffs and pay salaries, purchase official vehicles and carry out capacity buildings, among other programmes.
He added that with the low budget, the council was able to formalize membership of FIATA, rent offices across the zones with head offices rented in Lagos and Abuja.
Olanrewaju lamented that the current annual budget of the Council was far above that of FIATA yearly budget, a situation he described as an irony of professional inclination.
According to him, this problem was caused by the government, adding that the government was massively corrupting the freight forwarders with a motive to enjoy an over-bloated budget.
He added that this was the reason why many freight forwarders now want to be in the board of the Council .
According to the statement, “Let me shock you, by saying that, the Government is massively corrupting the leadership of the freight forwarders cum the Practitioners, doing so in an obvious subtle manner aka over inflated project contracts and elephant projects.
“Consequently, the Practitioners now find it much rewarding and most profitable to do everything humanly possible to get elected into the Governing Council rather than face its Professional Practices”.
He said this growing trend was dangerous and should be stopped.
He added, “ In my mind this is rather a DELIBERATE Professional distraction caused by the government. What happens when another government comes to power and discovers that, this present trending of setting up edifices which in the future cannot be sustainable, for a prudent professional Practitioners whose activities are service related is a mere waste of public fund?”
Below is the full text of the statement:
“CRFFN YEARLY BUDGET – GOVERNMENT SUBTLY CORRUPTING THE FREIGHT FORWARDING PRACTITIONERS.
Approximately the amount used to kick start the administrative life of the CRFFN between the year 2008 to 2012 ( of the first and second Governing Council) is in the average of #200m to #250m.
Out of this approximated amount; staffs were recruited and salaries promptly paid, official vehicles were purchased, capacity buildings programs were conducted,. membership with FIATA formalized, office structures, were rented across the zones, and operation head offices rented in Lagos and Abuja, International Professional exchange programs attended, etc.
Experiences has shown that administering a professional Council of our size was never a rocket science in terms of massive and over bloated yearly budgetary, as presently obtains.
As a professional Regulatory Council and from what is obtainable else where amongst the comity of freight forwarding nation’s, we do not really need all this gigantic edifices ( tagged headquarters & zonal administrative offices and institutes ) being put in place.
What governs a professional Council is the principle of discipline, transparency, moderation and prudency especially when it comes to financial management, and not the spirit of negligence, squandering and recklessness.
Idealy in a viable and competitive freight forwarding Profession, most of the said on going projects are actually projects that the Practitioners through visionary leadership of the CRFFN can easily attract through international donations via our international participation in the global freight forwarding advancement programs and empowerment schemes.
In the local front, with an ideal financial administration, this said projects are achievable subject to Professional administrative planning, budgeting and execution via visionary leadership.
As a professional Council, we are supposedly careful and conscious to budget and expense in likely equation and correspondence with our yearly income via yearly subscriptions, enforcement of regulatory sanctions, sales of professional publications, Professional levies, donations , corporate brand materials, etc?.
It is disheartening to note that, 12 years after the registration of the CRFFN with the umbrella body, the FIATA, what we can point to the International body , who had conclude a trained the trainer program, followed by the accreditation of Professional training institutions across the geo Political Zones of the Nation, is an endless ongoing projects of the CRFFN.
What a shame of a profession, even worse, when we discover that, even the CRFFN yearly budgetary is way far above that of FIATA yearly budgetary, what an irony of Professional inclination.
Let me shock you, by saying that, the Government is massively corrupting the leadership of the freight forwarders cum the Practitioners, doing so in an obvious subtle manner aka over inflated project contracts and elephant projects.
Consequently, the Practitioners now finds it much rewarding and most profitable to do everything humanly possible to get elected into the Governing Council rather than face its Professional Practices.
This growing trends is dangerous and a professional albatross has to be stopped.
In my mind this is rather a DELIBERATE Professional distraction caused by the government. What happens when another government comes to power and discovers that, this present trending of setting up edifices which in the future cannot be sustsinable, for a prudent professional Practitioners whose activities are service related is a mere waste of public fund?
This deliberate dubbing our legitimate Professional Council as a quango Professional Council by Government operatives has to stop.
In due course we shall institute a process that will engender probity by the concerned authorities”.
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