Following rumours that the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) have been depleted, the National President, National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero has said that those who depleted the fund must be made to be accountable for it.
Amiwero who was speaking with newsmen in Lagos recently stated that this was necessary as the money was not meant to be depleted rather to empower the indigenous ship owners acquire ocean going vessels that would enable them participate in lifting of both dry and wet cargo.
According to him,” the Cabotage money is not meant for it to be depleted, it is meant for it to be used for the purpose it was meant for. It is a financing fund; it must finance and sustain the business. The laws are there, you cannot continue to run this country with impunity. If this has been done, many of these ships would have been bought by the indigenous ship owners, many of them would have been employed. At least, it would have created jobs for almost close to 30 or 40 people and the 30 or 40 people can create 100,000 employments”.
He contended that had the money been properly applied, by now Nigeria should have been talking of re-floating a national carrier adding that the law empowered the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to develop a national carrier for the nation.
On the premise that NIMASA had been working to float a national carrier for Nigeria, Amiwero quipped,” how can he be on it for 7 years and you are collecting the money? That money, immediately it starts coming in, that means you must start implementing what the law says you should do with money”.
“What is national carrier? Out there, you have a bear boat chatter. You can chatter a vessel say for 30 years and you can fly your flag and that is what is happening in America. America even went to the extent of converting a single bottom into a double bottom. That is what they do all over the world, nobody owns a ship. That is how many of these countries became ship owners and it is there in NIMASA Cabotage Act, there is room for that”.
While submitting that NIMASA could generate massive employments in the country through proper application of its laws, Amiwero who is also the Managing Director of Eyis Resources Limited however maintained that NIMASA law had not been complied with.
“25% of the earnings of NIMASA are supposed to be used to develop indigenous shipping operations. Where is it? The NIMASA law has been there since 2007, for eight years, which one has it developed? They are not talking about training and the law is there and the law is tied to the Local Content Act and Cabotage and they said NIMASA should midwife them and make sure that Nigerians lift dry and wet cargoes. Is Nigerians lifting any wet and dry cargoes?
