The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association has warned the incoming government of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of those maritime operators whose duty it was to romance every government in power under the pretense of articulating policies for the government that would enhance the maritime sector while seeking their personal gains.
The President of the association, Engr. Matthew Alalade who made this observation in a chat with newsmen in Lagos stated that the maritime practitioners would not want the industry to go into the wrong hands again having heard that some faceless people were regrouping with the intent of approaching the President elect on the state of the Nigerian maritime industry.
While warning the Gen. Buhari to be careful in dealing with people especially from the maritime sector, he expressed the hope that the incoming government would place the right people in the right position so as to adequately harness the potentials in the sector.
“We don’t want this maritime industry to go into wrong hands because some people are clamouring now that they want to advice the government, we don’t know their identity whether they are core maritime practitioners or not”.
“But with this government coming in, we pray that they will do the right thing by appointing the right people in the right place not those that will be clamouring all the time. Some people have been dinning with the old brigades, still dine with the current brigades and still want to dine with these new brigades. So, government must be careful, that is my candid advice”, he said.
On the areas the incoming government should pay particular attention in the industry, Alalade suggested that the incoming government should form a committee of critical stakeholders which would comprise of those rightly involved in the maritime industry so as to chart a way forward for the incoming administration.
The Merchant Navy Officers boss maintained that it should no longer be business as usual adding that there should be serious commitment to the critical areas of the economy so that whenever Federal government disburses money, it should go through the right channels.
According to him,”there should be serious commitment with like I said the critical stakeholders. There should be commitment for the seafarers that is our members for them to get the job. Federal Government should acquire vessels through private participation, by this, our members as well as the teeming youths of this country can have jobs. Those who are coming out of maritime schools, they can get vessels to practice in because what we were having from the past years is half baked maritime students and workers but now, they must be involved in the practice”.
