The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), has called on the Nigerian Government to curtail the activities of illegal groups and associations operating at its ports nationwide.
A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by Mr Mike Jukwe, the Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, (CRFFN), said that FIATA made the call at its recent world congress held in Cairo , Egypt .
The association noted that the call became necessary following a report it received from an unaccredited association operating at the port, warning FIATA not to have any dealings with such association.
FIATA noted that the association also threatened to unleash mayhem at the ports which would also cripple the Nigerian economy if it failed to heed to the warning.
The statement said as a result of the threat by the association, FIATA placed a “No Travel Ban’’ on its officials who were billed to attend the “Training Of the Trainers (TOT) programme which was scheduled to hold in Nigeria for the first time.
“The programme could not take place with the attendant threat of suspension or outright expulsion of Nigeria from the world body.
“ Nigeria thus lost the benefits of the TOT in capacity building and professionalism leading to employment and wealth creation,’’ the statement said.
FIATA said, “we believe 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, another association was taking over’’.
It stated that although the suspension was averted, the “No Travel Ban was not lifted, adding that this led to Nigeria losing its hosting right of the 2012 meeting of the Region Africa Middle East (RAMA) to South Africa .
According to the statement, Ghana has been appointed the Regional Training Centre for West Africa , Ethiopia for North Africa and South Africa for the South of Africa.
The statement also said that Mr Stanley Hong from Singapore had been elected as the new President of FIATA for the next two years while the Director-General of FIATA, Mr Marco Sangalletti also announced his retirement after 14 years.
The statement added that Sangalletti had been replaced by Mr Marco Sorgetti whose tenure is expected to begin on January 2, 2012.