Mr Samuel Nwakohu, the Registrar of Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), on Thursday promised that the council would resolve the issue of delayed cargo clearance in Lagos ports.
Nwakohu also promised to make himself and his team accessible to all stakeholders for efficient delivery of the mandate of the council.
A document signed by Mrs Chinyere Uromta, the CRFFN Head of Corporate Affairs and made available to newsmen, quoted the registrar as making the promise when he received a group of concerned freight forwarders from the Western zone.
The visitors had threatened to shut down the ports on issues militating against timely cargo clearance in ports and leading to exorbitant payments for demurrage.
Nwakohu said that his administration was poised to open multiple channels of communication to enable it receive quick responses on issues affecting the industry.
“The council is established to serve and protect the interest of freight forwarding practitioners I call for your support and co-operation in order to re-position the sub-sector,’’ he said.
The registrar called on the group to suspend any action on the proposed strike and give the council 14 working days to address the issues.
He enjoined that, henceforth, all aggrieved freight forwarders should not contemplate strike action or acts that could affect the economy adversely without recourse to the council as the regulatory agency.
Mr Ndubisi Uzoegbu, the Spokesman for the group, outlined their grievances ranging from multiple customs check points, bad road network leading to high cost of transportation and high cost of demurrage.
Uzoegbu said that the recent deployment of a special team from Abuja to inspect third party cargo at the Lagos ports was worrisome as it led to more days in cargo clearance.
The group expressed gratitude to the council for its assurance on timely intervention and looked forward to a positive outcome.
Uzoegbu said the group had resolved to make representations on issues to the appropriate quarters with a view to finding lasting solution.
