CRFFN Election: NAGAFF Goes Gaga, Removes Names of Nweke, Uche, Nwosu from Social Media Platforms over Opposition to Sharing Formula
DR. BONIFACE ANIEBONAM
By Francis Ugwoke
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) on Wednesday removed the names of former President, Dr. Eugene Nweke, serving President, Dr. Increase Uche and former Secretary, Mr Emeka Nwosu from its social media platforms.
The order to remove the names of the egg heads from the social media platforms was said to have been given by the founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, apparently in anger that the freight forwarders openly opposed the sharing formula agreed with other associations in the election into the Governing Board of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Nweke had openly during the stakeholders forum held at Eko Hotels in Lagos and organized by the Ministry of Transportation opposed the plan by NAGAFF, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents
(ANLCA) , National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Nigerian Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC) and the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN) to frustrate independent candidates who want to contest the CRFFN election.
The associations had agreed to a sharing formula in which NAGAFF and ANLCA get six members each elected into the CRFFN Board while other smaller associations get one each.
The associations had ruled out independent candidacy provisions in the CRFFN Election Act even after the three freight forwarders had bought their forms for the election.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mrs. Magdaline Ajani, who was apparently aware of the plan by the associations had however asked for independent candidates to indicate interest during which Nweke Uche and Nwosu responded .
The Permanent Secretary had welcomed this development and said it was their right as provided by the law.
She disclosed that the National President of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders Nigeria (AREFFN), Alhaji Bala Daura did not sign the position paper submitted to the Ministry by four out of the five accredited freight forwarding associations.
Daura explained that he did not sign the position paper following the decision taken by the freight forwarders in the Eastern Zone in respect of the election.
Few hours later, Aniebonam gave a directive that their names should be removed from the Whatsapp and Facebook platforms of the association.
Part of the directive for the removal of Nweke, Uche and Nwosu from the social media platforms and obtained by our Correspondent reads: “Internal directive—- I hereby direct that the following members of NAGAFF be removed from all NAGAFF Whatsapp platforms, Facebook and Instagram with immediate effect: Dr. Increase Uche, Dr. Eugene Nweke and Mr. Emeka Nwosu.
“All chapter Chairmen, Secretary General and Deputy National President hqrs should ensure compliance till further notice. I shall make further statement in due course. Dr. Aniebonam founder NAGAFF.”
However, Nweke had during the meeting made it clear that it would be unfair not to allow independent candidates to contest the election after they had bought their forms.
It was also gathered that NAGAFF had allowed them to buy the forms as independent candidates but changed their decision at the last minute.
Wednesday’s stakeholders meeting was attended by the President of ANLCA, Iju Tony Nwabunike, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, NCMDLCA, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo, among others.
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