APFFLON Criticizes CRFFN Staff Unionization By MWUN, Calls for Council Overhaul

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Otunba Frank Ogunojemite

By DAPO OLAWUNI

As the Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) threatens to shut down operations at seaports, jetties, terminals, and oil platforms across the country over nine months of unpaid salaries to the staff of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), a leading freight forwarding association has expressed strong disapproval of the situation.

Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), has condemned the unionization of CRFFN staff under MWUN, calling it an “insult” to freight forwarders.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Ogunojemite criticized the management of the CRFFN for allowing the staff to join MWUN, describing the decision as a failure in leadership.

Ogunojemite argued that CRFFN’s unionization under MWUN shows a lack of direction and diminishes its role in regulating and promoting the freight forwarding profession.

“I see them unionizing under the Maritime Workers’ Union as an insult to the freight forwarders and the founding fathers who defied all odds to establish the Council,” he stated. He suggested that the CRFFN should instead focus on uniting freight forwarders and providing a platform to address their concerns.

When asked about the distinction between staff and management in this context, Ogunojemite dismissed the difference, stating that staff members eventually become part of the management, highlighting a systemic issue within the Council.

He also raised concerns that the Council’s weak governance and overstaffing are affecting its operations, emphasizing that some employees may not be contributing effectively to the organization.

Regarding the potential MWUN strike, Ogunojemite criticized the union’s approach to industrial action, particularly the practice of locking the gates to the port. He called on the union to “limit their excesses” and urged them to find ways to manage port congestion without halting all operations. “If they want to strike, they should just leave the containers the way they are, not lock the gate to the port,” he added, noting that allowing some operations to continue would prevent further congestion.

Ogunojemite’s statements reflect a growing frustration within the freight forwarding community about the direction of the CRFFN and its relationship with MWUN, with calls for a total overhaul of the Council’s structure and practices.

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