Senate, Transport Ministry push for maritime alternative

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R-L: Member
Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Kabir Gaya, Director-General,Nigerian
Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside , and the Chairman, Ship owners Forum, Barrister (Mrs.) Margaret
Orakwusi at a maritime stakeholders assembly tagged a Lunch with the
Senate held in Lagos.

The Senate Committee
on Marine Transport and the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT) have
called on stakeholders to join the Government in its recent efforts to pay more
attention to the development of the maritime sector as it has enormous
resources that can boost the economy of Nigeria.

This assertion was
made on Thursday in Lagos at a one day maritime stakeholders’ assembly
organised by the committee in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of
Transportation.

Chairman of the
committee, Senator Ahmed Sani Rufai, stated, “One of the reasons we
are here is to bring the parliament to the stakeholders and discuss the
progress, challenges and the way forward for the realisation of a robust
maritime sector in Nigeria. We will, therefore, depend on feedbacks from the
stakeholders, which will help in our legislative processes.”

Ahmed said the Senate
was willing to partner with stakeholders in the sector through proper
legislation to find ways of harnessing the opportunities that abound in the
maritime sector for the country’s economic prosperity.

The committee chairman
listed some maritime industry-related bills under consideration in the National
Assembly, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (Act repeal and re-enactment)
Bill 2016; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Act (Amendment)
Bill, 2018; Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage Act) Bill, 2018; and
Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Bill 2018.

He said the
committee will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that every bill relevant to
the growth of the maritime sector got the required attention and legislative
backing within the shortest time possible.

On his part, the
Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, noted that the Federal
Government was committed to the growth of the maritime sector, but said this
could only be achieved through proper legislation.

Amaechi, who was represented
by the Director, Maritime Services of the FMOT, Mr. Galadenchi, also pledged
the commitment of the ministry to partnerships with the Senate and industry
stakeholders to enable the Nigerian maritime sector fully realise the enormous
opportunities within it.

The Director-General
of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku
Peterside, who delivered a goodwill message at the occasion, commended the
Senate Committee on Marine Transport for its doggedness and patriotism in
ensuring that the sector took its rightful place in the comity of maritime
nations through the legislative backings, among other efforts.

Dakuku reiterated the
Agency’s commitment to the realisation of a robust maritime sector in the
country through collaboration with the committee and other stakeholders. He
called for synergy among sister agencies in the maritime sector, saying it is
the only way to fully harness the opportunities in the sector.

“Collaboration is the
only way our country will grow and the maritime sector must not be left out.
Let me therefore state categorically that through synergy with relevant
stakeholders, there will be massive boom in the maritime sector and, by
extension, the entire economy” Dr. Dakuku said.

He appealed to the
Senate to ensure speedy passage of the anti-piracy bill to provide a legal
backing for the prosecution of issues relating to piracy and other criminal
activities on the country’s territorial ways.

Also speaking, former
Director-General of NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye, said one of the ways to
optimise the benefits of the maritime sector was to decentralise the ports and
make them more attractive and competitive. He said this would help to boost
investors’ confidence and decongest the traffic situation in the Lagos ports.

Chairman of the Ports
Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin, welcomed the Federal Government’s
attempt to provide a viable port access roads in Nigeria. Folarin said, “An
efficient multimodal transport system is the only way to realise a viable
maritime sector that can compete favourably with others in the world.”

Industry stakeholders
at the event bemoaned the state of the access roads to the ports and called on
the Senate Committee to assist in finding a lasting solution to the congestion
on the roads.

Notable industry
stakeholders, who attended the event included Chief Isaac Jolapamo, Mrs.
Margaret Orakwusi, Princess Vicky Haastrup, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, and Mr.
Bolaji Sunmola.

They emphasised the need for the government to pay more
attention to the maritime sector for the country’s economic
prosperity.