The former Chairman of the Nigerian Ship owners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapamo has called on the warring factions in the just concluded election of the association to sheathe their sword and embrace peace in the overall interest of the association.
Jolapamo who was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected executive of the association in Lagos reminded members of NISA that there was need for the infighting currently going on amongst members of the association.
According to him,” we should all join hands together to win our common war. There is no point for us in fighting ourselves, if we fight ourselves, the big one that we are supposed to address is just eluding us. It is because those things are eluding us that I am wearing this black today”.
He stated that the association which kicked off about thirteen years ago with about three members had today grown with about one hundred and sixty members adding that the association was making progress.
“I can openly say that I have the confirmation that the President called for the Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum and Minister of Transport to look into those our recommendations during the Presidential retreat Committee that was set up”.
“So, it is not that we are not going somewhere, they have also been mandated to look into the National Carrier, the National Shipping Line so that the ship owners will still take a better proportion of what the government is trying to do”, he said.
He however expressed the hope that the new executives would build on the foundation which he had laid in the past twelve years adding that no other foundation other than the one he built would be build again.
On his part, the newly inaugurated President of NISA, Capt. Dada Labinjo promised that the new executives would work hard to arrest the foreign domination of the Nigerian Coastal waters and return the jobs back to the Nigerian Ship owners.
He said,” our members and the new executives are aware that the task ahead is not a simple one. It is going to pitch us against those who are benefitting from the domination of our maritime space by foreign shipping services providers and will not like to see a change in the status quo even if it means undermining or breaking Nigerian laws’.
“The good news is that we are prepared as an association to protect our investments and the maritime economy of Nigeria. After all, Nigeria is the only country where we can undertake the shipping services as the Greeks, Indians or Americans will not admit us to come near their coasts to share what is reserved exclusively for their citizens”.
The new NISA boss further called on Mr. Greg Ogbeifun and Mr. Temisanren Omatseye who contested the position of President of NISA with him to put the election behind them and come up to work with him in bringing back their jobs.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr. Hassan Bello said lauded the efforts of Chief Isaac Jolapamo in pioneering the association and bringing it to stage at which the association had to witness smooth transition to a democratically elected executives.
He therefore urged the incoming executives to pursue the full implementation of the cabotage law as well as the establishment of the National carrier for the Nigerian shipping sector so as to enable the country to regain its pride of place in the Maritime world.
Highlight of the occasion was the cutting of the birthday anniversary cake to commemorate Chief Jolapamo’s 66th birthday which incidentally fall on that same day.
