Enebeli Emerges  NIS President,. As Captain Onoharigho Bows Out 

“How it benefits us, how does it impact on our people vis a vis the growing population particularly in the littoral states, the shipping industry and others.

“We had shipping policy, the decree 10 of 1987, the Nigerian Maritime and shipping policy should be enhanced. We need to advance on that and advise the president who has the powers to make regulations to a large extent make a presidential order on Maritime without going to the national assembly

“If the order has a clear direction, particularly because of our strategic importance in the subregion, in Africa and in the world. Even though things are at the lowest ebb, we control about 65 percent of cargo throughput within the subregion.

“If we have that, we need to be the hub in the region. It is in view of that that we are calling on Mr. President to immediately put in place a proper or expanded Maritime executive order so that we will be able to upgrade the one we already have which is the National Shipping Policy Decree 10 of 1987.

On the cabotage act, he said”:If they say the Cabotage law was drawn from the Jones Act of the United States of America, Nigeria is growing at an astronomical rate and our wants are getting higher everyday and because of science, human longevity is increasing, the characters must survive and as such, the issue of Cabotage is very important so that we can capture our economy properly.

“We must not rely on foreign shipping all the time to come and help us. Today,we don’t have a very effective cottages drydock that you can go in and out and bring out your ship

“Our freight forwarding is crying, our ship owning is also crying. To that,we need secure policy to that effect .

“And to create the independence of Cabotage from NIMASA because this is a huge task. To create an independent arrangements so 5hat people can focus internally

“NIMASA is involved in shipping trade, Cabotage local arrangement,also involved in ship registration, also involved in ship manning, involved in general regulation of the maritime industry. This is enormous task.

“The manpower want and the bureaucracy that will follow is enormous and I feel the Nigerian government should look deeply if we must enhance our local industry to get independence even though there are proliferations of similar agencies but this has to do welfare of Nigerians,”Enebeli noted.

Earlier, outgoing National President , Captain Onoharigho in his remarks, called on members of the Institute to ensure commitment for the growth and development of NIS.

On some of the achievements recorded under his administration, Onoharigho noted that NIS was repositioned by getting rid of bad eggs within the administrative staff of the Institute.

He added that ” This administration since inception intensified its training programmes, which created stronger ties between the Institute and the players in the maritime sector.

While speaking on the challenges, the immediate past president noted that the Covid19 pandemic affected the Institute performance in terms of finance and capacity building for members but maintained that dedicated members were able to rise to the occasion and prevent NIS from collapse.

“In reality,the general performance of most organisation was affected by Covid19 pandemic,and it also affected the activities of the Institute, its members and financial strength.

“As such most of the executive has to commit their personal funds to rescue the Institute from total collapse”.

Highpoints of the AGM was the presentation of awards to key players from the maritime sector.

Notably among those that are awardees at the event include: Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Mohammed Bello Koko, Managing Director National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA)), Dr. George Moghalu, Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers’Council, Mr. Emmanuel Jime and President of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria, Mrs Mfon Usoro.

Others are Managing Director,Sea Transport Service, Aminu Umar, Hadiza Manko Nweke, Pharm. Khadijat Ifelola Sheidu-Shabi ,Emeka Okereke, Oscar Aguocha , Captain Iheanacho Ebubeogu, Ngozi Stella Obikili, Commodore Abdul Hamid Baba Inna, Chief Innocent Akuvue, Commodore Olugbenga Oladipo, Captain Lekan Olopade and Rear Admiral Lassa.

Meanwhile,the outgoing President, Captain Anthony Onoharigho was the receipent of NIS life patron.