A former Chairman, Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Dr. Chris Asoluka has advocated longer tenure in office for Chief Executive Officers of maritime agencies for effective sector growth.
Asoluka made the plea Thursday in Lagos during the 3rd year anniversary, annual lecture and award giving ceremony organized by Primetime Reporters online newspapers.
According to him, government is always in a hurry to change heads of parastatals which had caused major setback for the industry in terms of infrastructure development.
“Again , I think we are too much in a hurry in changing heads of parastatals in the industry, we are not saying that people should die in office but longevity is very key. Frequent changes of leaders in agencies cannot help in policy implementation and there no way the political will can succeed when the head of such parastatal is not sure of what will become of him”, he stressed.
He also called for stakeholders’ consensus which could be promoted deliberately in order to get the best out of the performances of each agency in the industry.
The former OGFZA boss noted that longevity create a system of consistency for maritime growth adding that longer stay in office by Chief Executive Officers brings about effective performance.
Speaking on theme, “Maritime Sector in Nigeria : Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, the maritime expert predicted that future of the Nigerian maritime industry is bleak owing to poor infrastructure development.
Asoluka said that the present day maritime sector in Nigeria was nothing compared to what obtained in the past adding that there was no development to move the industry forward.
He said, “It is difficult to predict the maritime sector development because it is far worse from what we have today.
“Poor policies and implementation has caused the sector to suffer, traffic is a hindrance to port operations. The ports are for colony interest not for economy interest,” he added.
While comparing the past of the industry to the present, he stated that yesterday was better than today saying Nigeria had no access to cargo sharing control in vessel lifting of crude.
He added that some of the problems plaguing the industry included lack of access roads to the port, lack of implementation of government policies, lack of inter-agency coordination among others.
On his part, the President of the Ship Owners’ Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Engr. Greg Ogbeifun lauded the establishment of the Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) even as he stressed the need for every Nigerian to assist the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to drive it further.
Ogebifun who was speaking in his capacity as the Chairman of the occasion described the intention of the Federal Government through NIMASA to float the NSDP project as laudable.
He however observed that NSDP would amount to merely building castles in the air if Nigerians expect to see a perfect maritime industry in Nigeria when the country could not boast of a ship of its own even as he frowned at the overdependence on foreign vessels to carter for the nation’s cargo.
“The idea is noble, the intention is good though it is presently not yet perfect. You cannot be talking of a perfect shipping industry if Nigerians don’t have their own ships.
Ogbeifun who is also the Chairman of the Starzs Investment Company Limited pointed out that while the nation had the cargo and the stakeholders have the expertise, enthusiasm and gut, the issue of a dynamic political will had been the problem of successive administrations.
While appreciating the efforts of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi at revamping the indigenous shipping and his unparalleled commitment towards entrenching a level playing ground for Nigerians going into shipping, he therefore advised the stakeholders to constructively engage NIMASA in ensuring a vibrant shipping industry,
He further called on Nigerians with ideas to avail same to the government as according to him, “the challenge of creating a perfect shipping industry must be seen as collective responsibility. The market is there, the opportunities are immense, what we needed all along is the political will”.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the Primetime Reporters, Mr. Saint Augustine Nwadinamuo who described the Nigerian Maritime sector as sectors within a sector regretted that the nation’s maritime industry believed to be second only to the nation’s oil industry in terms of revenue generation, with all its numerous prospects and opportunities was yet to make its expected contribution to the nation’s economy.
Nwadinamuo believed that the sector if well harnessed was capable of reducing unemployment rate in the country by half.
According to him,” We also seek to use this event to kick-start our annual lecture series beginning with the nation’s maritime industry hence the choice of the theme for today’s event. Maritime industry, many believed is second only to the nation’s oil industry but the industry will all its potentials and opportunities is yet to make its expected contribution to the economy of Nigeria. It is believed that if well harnessed, this sector alone is capable of reducing the unemployment rate in the country by half as it could best be described as sectors within a sector.
“Although government had made huge contributions in this industry yet those efforts are yet to be felt as a lot needs to be done to bring the industry to its expected end. We therefore picked this theme to enable us take a holistic view of the maritime industry in Nigeria with the aim of ascertaining the gains, losses, challenges and prospects of the sector as it were”.
Highlights of the event is the cutting of the anniversary cake and presentation of the Primetime Reporters merit award to 18 distinguished Nigerians among who is the wife of the Governor of Ananmbra State, Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano.
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