CRFFN Fate Uncertain As Uromta, Jukwe, Ikima Fight Unsettles Abuja

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

There are indications that another round of fierce internal wrangling may have hit the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), and stakeholders worry that the current schism may be worse than previous ones, and could spell doom for the controversial agency.

Recall that barely a month after the immediate past Council Registrar/CEO, Barr. Sam Nwakohu reportedly petitioned the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola concerning his purported wrongful removal and had requested to be re-instated, a position insiders say the new ministry found embarrassing.

While the present rupture is coming at a time the Council is believed to be embarrassingly insolvent and having challenges meeting its responsibilities such as the payment of accumulated rent debts, the Acting Registrar, Mrs.  Chinyere Uromta has been accused of mismanaging its lean resources on a recent UK trip.

This is even despite concerns that her appointment as Acting Registrar has remained controversial following experts’ opinion that the CRFFN Act has no provision for a Registrar in acting capacity; which places a caveat on Uromta’s appointment as an official miscarriage, which concern should make anyone in her position act properly and soberly.

As though the questionable oversea trip was not enough, the embattled Council Acting Registrar/CEO  has also been accused of lifting and leaking official documents; said to be the worst official misdeameanour possible at that level.

Those familiar with the workings of the ministry and freight industry worry that the CRFFN is gradually grinding to a halt, especially in view of the Council’s poor financial status that has since made it become like a beggar agency, running around accredited associations and begging for fees and levies to be paid to enable the Council stay afloat.

Since it was removed from federal government allocation,the Council has depended solely on Internally Generated Revenue, with 40% deducted at source in favour of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of Government; which was recently reviewed upward to 50%, effective 1st January 2024.

Pinnacle Time gathered that while the monthly wage bill of N47million per month which covers workers’ salaries for January and February 2024 is yet to be paid, in addition to staff members duty allowances (DTA) and other expenses, yet Mrs  Uromta allegedly  got a whooping N6m to cover her foreign trips.

Amid these worrisome developments, grapevine report say the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has also received petition stating that the Council pioneer Registrar, Sir Mike Jukwe  and Mrs. Uromta have been in an unholy alliance resulting in the mismanagement of internal confidential information.

According to the sources in the ministry, one Mr. Linus Ikima said to be the CRFFN’s Deputy Director Finance and Accounts, petitioned the Minister, in reaction to an initial letter by Jukwe, purportedly  regarding payment of his claims. Those familiar with the Council say Uromta and Jukwe’s pecuniary romance is impacting negatively on the financial administration of the Council.

Uromta was accused of either extracting or photocopying from the handover notes given by her predecessor, with further hint that the content of the handover note are directly linked to the petition written by Jukwe.

She was alleged to have announced during the Council’s mmnagement Meetings of 7th December 2023 in Lagos and that of 11th December 2023 in Abuja that she no longer wish to work with the said Mr Ikima as the Head of Finance & Accounts; with some version saying she threatened not to  recognise him as the Head of Finance & Accounts Department.

Despite that she allegedly emptied the Council’s financial till in the UK Course late 2023, Uromta has been accused of having private discussions with Jukwe and gave him assurances to expect payment of his benefit knowing full well that there are no funds to back up the payment.

Grapevine says Uromta who doubles as Head of Enforcement has not been on ground to discharge the functions of that office . The enforcement office, according to inside sources is directly linked with the IGR activities, particularly the collection of practitioners operating fees.

The Ikima’s letter to the minister reads in part: “Between November 1st to 13th 2023, all available funds were mopped to pay for UK Course/training of the Acting Registrar/CEO from 13th to 18th November 2023 who instructed that it should be so. Calling Mike Jukwe and asking him to expect alert when we mopped funds to pay for her UK trip was rather unusual and tantamount to blackmail

“Mike Jukwe during his tenure as the Registrar/CEO got the sum of N196,400,000.00 (one hundred and ninety million, four hundred thousand Naira only) in March 2014 from the Federal Government through the service wide vote to pay rents. This money was enough to pay ten years rent/lease for his house that was rented to the Council, but he paid only N28,560,000.00 as three years rent.

“Mike Jukwe used the balance of N167,840,000.00 from the N196,400,000.00 granted to the Council to create further mind boggling rent liabilities for the Council which we are still paying from the little IGR and which is affecting our ability to meet our financial obligations including the payment of his rent.

“For example, Mike Jukwe rented building as GUEST HOUSE for Registrar/CEO in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos and paid N34,788,000.00 as three years’ rent. He used the place very sparingly and the whole rent got wasted. We are still owing the landlord N34,499,999.00 and he seized a Prado Jeep of the Council which has not been released. Mike Jukwe also rented another GUEST HOUSE IN KANO located on Bompai Road, Kano and paid N29,580,000.00 as three years rent.

“The landlord is still pressing the Council to pay outstanding rent of N34,510,000.00. Other outstanding rents incurred by Mike Jukwe include N18,416,666,67 rent owed on property located at No.2, Bisi Omidiora street, Apapa, Lagos. Even when funds are available, Ag Registrar/CEO Mrs Uromta Chinyere will instruct me to pay all her numerous personal claims or other ones she has special interest before paying others.”

Continuing, lkima said, “The Ag R/CEO has done this several times that I brought out the petitioner’s claim for her to give me the go –ahead to make payment but before you know it, the available funds are exhausted. It’s important to reiterate that every approval for payment is always at the instance of the CEO.

“The petitioner rented building as GUEST HOUSE for Registrar/CEO in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos and paid N34,788,000.00 as three years’ rent (Appendix 7A-7B). He used the place very sparingly and the whole rent got wasted. The Council is still owing the landlord N34,499,999.00 who has seized a Prado Jeep of the Council which has not been released till date. The petitioner also rented another GUEST HOUSE IN KANO located on Bompai Road, Kano and paid N29,580,000.00as three years rent (Appendix 8A-8B).

“The landlord is still pressing the Council to pay outstanding rent of N34,510,000.00. Other outstanding rents incurred by the petitioner include N18,416,666,67 rent owed on property located at No.2, Bisi Omidiora street, Apapa, Lagos etc.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Ag Registrar, Mrs Uromta, failed as she interrupted the phone call made by our  reporter, She did not also respond to a Whatsapp message sent to her on the issue.