A maritime lawyer, Barrister Osuala Emmanuel Nwagbara has called on the stakeholders in the nation’s maritime industry not to get tired of articulating their thoughts on ways to reposition the industry and communicating same to the government as it is in their own interest to do so.
Nwagbara who made this known in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos noted that although the stakeholders had done enough in terms of speaking on the ills of the industry and ways of addressing them, he however believed that with the crop of leaders at the helm of the various maritime agencies, it was not going to be rhetoric anymore.
According to him,” I am not sure it is going to be rhetoric as usual because we begin to see, for instance, NIMASA last year said that beginning from January, it is going to implement dock labour regulations to the letter. So, it is up to the stakeholders now to demand for implementation. NIMASA said in 2017, we are going to have a floating dock, it is up to the stakeholders, ship owners’ forum, ship owning interests to consistently demand for it, that they want to see a floating dock so that they can dry dock their ships, where they can do under water repairs, where they can do general repairs and maintenance of their ships. And when they do that, they will reduce capital flight, they will create employment, they save enough for the economy.
“Now, NPA is going to see that the access roads to the ports are repaired and maintained. It is up to stakeholders to start demanding in January that they want to see action. So, stakeholders are not expected to fold their hands and say we have talked last year, we won’t talk again this year, they have to talk. Shippers’ Council said that if by 2017 there are no appreciable investments in terms of equipment with a view to taking off of the ICDs, that it is going to revoke concessions. It is up to stakeholders to say, Shippers’ Council, do what you promised. It is up to the stakeholders to tell the concessionaires, please get on to the sites and equip the site and start operation.
“Stakeholders had suggested that the Nigeria Customs Service should reduce their import tariff; it is up to stakeholders to continue to demand that they do that for the benefit of the economy. So, when we consistently demand, it becomes clear that those who supposed to perform that are not performing will be spurred to action”.
When asked if government should be reminded of the mandates for which it was elected into office, Nwagbara who is also the Managing Partner, Maritime and Commercial Law Chambers had this to say,” Well, you are supposed to remind them because you are a stakeholder in the maritime industry and if every sector in Nigeria is doing well and your industry is not doing well, you have not succeeded and you have not played your role as stakeholders. So, reminding them is also building success for yourself. When you remind them and they are informed, you succeed, the generation is happier, the country is happier, the society is happier, you are happier, Nigeria is growing. So, you are not supposed to say we put them there, they are supposed to perform. No! You have to make them appreciate that they have to perform for our own good and for the good of all of us”.
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