Drama As CRFFN Acting Registrar Withdraws Finance Head from Staff Salary Processing

Acting Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has allegedly withdrawn the Deputy Director and Acting Director of Finance and Accounts (Ag DFA) of the Council, Ikima L.I from handling staff salary payments.

In a recent internal communication dated September 5, 2024, a copy of which was sighted by pur correspondent, the Acting Director announced the significant changes in the Finance and Accounts Department, including his withdrawal from handling staff salary payments.

The decision follows his removal, along with three other staff members, from the REMITA platform by the Acting Registrar/CEO of the council.

The REMITA platform is the gateway through which the CRFFN handles internally generated revenue and expenditure, making this removal highly unusual, according to the Ag DFA.

“The involvement of an Accounting Officer in a matter like this is quite unusual,” he stated in the memo.

He emphasized that as of August 27, 2024, he no longer has access to the platform, meaning he is unable to track revenue inflows and outflows or generate financial reports.

The Acting DFA clarified the implications of the changes, noting, “Even as the Head of Finance & Accounts, I am no longer responsible for handling the expenditure of the Council and shall not be answerable for anything concerning expenditure, especially payments of general administrative expenses, staff claims, salaries, and third-party payments.”

The Acting Registrar/CEO has replaced three of the removed Finance & Accounts staff with two of her preferred new users on the REMITA platform, further limiting the involvement of the Ag DFA in the council’s financial operations.

On the matter of staff salaries, the Ag DFA stated that he will no longer be responsible for processing or paying salaries due to his removal from the REMITA platform.

“I am accordingly, withdrawing myself from the processing and payment of staff salaries which is work in progress,” he noted.

However, he assured that he would complete the remittance process for statutory deductions, including pensions, PAYE, and union dues for salaries already paid.

He also revealed that N13,066,700 meant for third-party remittance remains in the Council’s TSA account as of September 10, 2024, pending the completion of the remittance process.