Nigeria’s freight forwarding firms suspended

THE International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) has suspended Nigeria from all its global activities, alleging that all was not yet right with freight forwarding business in the nation’s gateways.

The suspension was handed over to Nigeria at the body’s world congress meeting in Cairo, Egypt, this week.

According to FIATA, the country also lost out in the hosting right of next year’s meeting of the Region Africa Middle East (RAME) to South Africa.

The association, in a letter to the Central Working Committee of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (CRFFN) and signed by the out-going FIATA’s President, Jean Claude Delen, said it decided to sanction Nigeria, after it received a threat letter from one of the nation’s freight forwarding associations, International Freight Forwarders Association (IFFA).

“The ban was imposed as a result of the letter written to FIATA against CRFFN by an unaccredited association, International Freight Forwarders Association. The letter contained threats to peace should FIATA officials come to Nigeria for the Training-Of-the-Trainers (TOT) programme that was to be held in Nigeria for the first time from 9th to 14th September, 2011.

“ FIATA believes that all is not well with the freight forwarding industry in Nigeria, if immediately after the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) had resolved its differences with CRFFN, then another association was taking over the crisis,” the association’s statement stated.

FIATA said unless a disciplinary action by the Federal Government is taking against IFFA, as well as, get the assurance of safety and security of its officials from the government.

The statement added that the international freight forwarding body even made a case that CRFFN as a body, pointing out that members of the Council and the Registrar have “jointly sued IFFA for defamation as attached but this was said to be a civil litigation.”

Ghana was appointed the Regional Training Centre for West Africa, Ethiopia for North Africa and South Africa for the South of Africa. While Saudi Arabia was re–admitted to FIATA after one year of suspension.

Meanwhile, Stanley Lim Hwee Hong from Singapore was elected as the President of FIATA and he took over from Jean Claude Delen.

-Latest Nigeria News

______________

BY TAIWO HASSAN

Source: The Guardian