The Managing Counsel, Forwarders Law Partners, Barr. Valentino Buoro has emphasized the need for the establishment of a Maritime Panel of neutrals and a Roll of Maritime mediation Advocates.
Speaking at a one day Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Awareness Programme for Maritime journalists at the Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC) in Lagos on Thursday, Barr. Buoro observed that the several Challenges between the various segments of the industry would be best resolved by a structured process where industry disputes were managed by the industry professionals who truly understood the process of the industry.
According to him,” there is an urgent need to establish a Maritime Panel of Neutrals and a Roll of Maritime Mediation Advocates with the Ultimate Mediation as subject area specific”.
Buoro who is also an Associate Convenor, Standing Conference of Mediation Advocates (SCMA) also disclosed that mediation could be utilized in resolving a wide range of disputes including; banking and insurance related matters as well as landlord and tenants matters.
He listed other disputes that could be resolved through mediation to include; debt recoveries, libel and slander, employment and trade disputes, medical negligence, contract enforcement, family and succession disputes amongst others.
He further stated that there were number of provisions in the laws of the federation including the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act which provided the legal backings needed for mediation as a means of resolving disputes between parties.
According to him,the Nigerian Shippers’ Council Act empowered the Council in Section 3 (e) “to negotiate and enter into agreements with Conference Lines and non Conference Lines, Shipowners, the Nigerian Ports Authority and any other bodies on matters affecting the interests of shippers.
On the roles of the maritime journalists in mediation mechanism, Barr. Buoro said that as the agenda setters of the public, it was the expectations of the organizers that the journalists would take their professional responsibility to educate the maritime public on the unique opportunity of self-managing myriads of industry challenges through mediation and other platforms of the ADR Spectrum.
He hinted that the Campaign which was spearheaded by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council would throw up fresh jobs and additional income streams to discerning maritime operators who wish to add mediation services to their bouquet of service offering.
“Let me also point that this unique programme was brought to you courtesy of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council for the primary purpose of media understanding and buy-in into the Council’s ADR programme as a key component of its regulatory strategy, there is a corollary lifetime opportunity for participants”, he said.
While describing the renewed efforts by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to institutionalize the ADR in the maritime industry as a laudable objective, he however expressed the hope that the programme which was the first of its kind would have enriched the journalists by the new knowledge to assist them in their personal and professional lives.
Speaking earlier in a goodwill message, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barr. Hassan Bello expressed his happiness that the Council was involved in the laudable effort to bring awareness of the Journalists to the ADR particularly as against litigation.
Represented by a Deputy Director in the Council, Barr. Uwe Akan, the executive Secretary prayed that ADR become a permanent feature in the nation’s arbitration calendar.
He said, “ the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has an enduring stake in the resolution of commercial disputes between parties as speedily and without high cost. ADR is an alternative to litigation and with the right input of the stakeholders, it is possible to facilitate the use of this medium as compared to other to resolve more commercial disputes”.
“The fact that the organizers are partnering with journalists is a good achievement. This is because, it is incumbent on the fourth estate to ensure that the good tidings of ADR are brought to the massive knowledge and acceptance of all stakeholders”.
Other papers delivered at the training programme included,” Mediation Advocacy: The platform of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and the LMDC Experience”, by the Deputy Director, Lagos Multi-Door Courthouse (LMDC), Mrs. Adeyinka Aroyewun and “Mediation: A non Lawyer’s Perspective”, by Akin Olawore.
The training programme also featured question and answer segment as well as issuance of certificates of attendance to participating journalists drawn from the Maritime Sector.
