…Urges stakeholders’ input in future undertakings
The immediate past Sole Administrator of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Otunba Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila has applauded the federal government for the bold step it has taken towards giving direction to the new Marine and Blue Economy Ministry by approving a ten year policy document to guide its development.
It will be recalled that the federal government through the Federal Executive Council, FEC, last month, approved the Nigeria’s first national policy on Marine and Blue Economy, a 10 year roadmap to harness the nation’s vast ocean and inland water resources for economic growth, job creation and environmental sustainability.
Adegboyega Oyetola, Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy described the policy’s approval as “a defining moment “ for Nigeria, marking the first time the country will pursue a coordinated national strategy to develop its marine assets.
Speaking on the development, Mukaila described it as a very good step in the right direction noting that some of them had been asking questions about the roadmap and the target of the new ministry knowing full well the vast maritime space that Nigeria had at the shoreline and all the sub underwater engineering.
Noting that so many other things that could be energized from the perspective of the new ministry, Mukaila who is also the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mickey Excellency Nigeria Limited observed that even though some stakeholders were not carried along in putting together the policy document, it was a good development that the country now have what could be referred to as a roadmap pointing to what the ministry intended to achieve.
“The fact that the Minister has come up with this, I read recently where he was having a performance bond with the heads of the agencies under his ministry, that’s another good move. I hope that we need to be seeing more of that now because besides the Nigerian Shippers’ Council talking, we have not seen any of the agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy doing anything. What we hear about is boat mishaps and all those stuff.
“So, it’s a welcome development that we have a working document so to say. Then, we can now talk about the contents of the working document”, he said.
On why the stakeholders input was not sought during the drafting of this document that would shape the lives of the operators in the industry, he said, “That has been the Nigerian system. Do you know that most of these government agencies rely more on consultants than the practitioners. They rely on consultants to give them a roadmap without actually consulting the boot on the ground and I want to believe this is not an exception.
“This is a consultant earning some few Naira and Dollars to package a document, where they shave the people’s heads in their absence. But at least, it’s a working document that we can now talk about, eulogize, criticize or review for amendment. It has been the Nigerian style that consultants have the day, even seminars, consultants will come and organize seminar on a topic that they know little or nothing about while the experts are seated. It’s job for the boys, it’s one of those things about Nigeria.”
Asked whether he had seen the policy document before or after the approval, he said, “I have not seen it, but we will have to see it at the end of the day. Now that it has been publicized without us having a copy. Finally, we are going to see it and then,we can pick it up from there. So, let’s keep hope alive that something is coming.”
On how he could criticize something that he has not seen, Mukaila posited, “It still boils down to the same thing, let us first of all, lay hands on the policy document, see the plan it has and then, everybody will get involved. Don’t forget, this ministry is about two years old and it’s in the chartered terrain that a whole lot of things need to be done.
“The government of the day, for even deeming fit to establish that ministry, we should give it kudos because it has really reduced a lot of lockjam. Everything was under the Ministry of Transport and then, the Minister was everywhere running around. But by breaking it down, it makes it a little bit easier, the perspective is being narrowed to the specifics.
“On continuity, let me hope that for the fact that we are seeing some fresh ministries, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the livestock ministry and all those stuff, I believe we now have reasons to expect continuity because this is a fledgling ministry and I don’t think what has been done right now can be discarded straight away tomorrow and I don’t see any government coming tomorrow to cancel that ministry because event has really shown that the ministry is needed.
“Therefore, I will like to be very optimistic that whatever it is that they are putting on the table, can always be fine tuned and the continuity will be there.”
Photo: Otunba Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila, immediate past Sole Administrator, ANLCA.
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