NISA Alleges NNPC, NIMASA, Others Frustrating Shipping Business In Nigeria

By Roland Ekama,Lagos

 

A group of ship owners under the aegis of Nigerian Ship Owners Association (NISA) has said over two million shipping jobs have been lost in Nigeria within a decade, saying the trend continues due to frustration from government agencies.

 

 

The association’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Otunba Sola Olatunji accused the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of being responsible for the dwindling fortune of shipping business in Nigeria.

 

 

According to a statement made available to our correspondent in Lagos, yesterday,Olatunji reiterated that the trio worked against the interest of indigenous players in the sector.

 

 

The NISA chief noted that the immediate past administration of NNPC under Ibe Kachikwu blatantly refused to involve Nigerian Ship owners in movement of Nigeria’s crude oil.

 

 

He further alleged that the Nigerian Navy has gone outside its statutory role of providing security for the waterways by issuing approval procedure for commercial shipping business which according to him is in tune of billions of naira.

 

 

He said, “It is an irony that, Nigerian Navy has gone outside its constitutional mandate by involving herself in commercial shipping etc in our waterways. How do you explain approval procedure for commercial shipping business by Navy?

 

 

“Why should Navy be responsible for issuing approval for commercial shipping businesses which attracts billions yearly & are not accounted for?  Why should Navy be responsible for commercial approval & not NNPC??”

 

 

He therefore called on the managers of the sector to “integrate Nigerians into the huge cargo movement rather than relying on foreign ship owners even when there is extant law forbidden such action. Cabotage law explicitly protects Nigerians in this respect & our incoming minister of petroleum must adhere to this law.

 

 

Speaking on the role of NIMASA, Olatunji said that the apex maritime agency had failed over time to administer the legislation protecting indigenous players against foreign ship owners which he said had brought the sector into a state of gradual extinction.

 

 

His words, “Today, the situation has gone from frying pan to fire. Over two million jobs have been lost & still counting.

 

 

“Rather than  embarking on holistic shipping development, Nimasa has embarked on massive wastage of scarce resources & some fraudulent office furnishing contracts.

 

 

“How could you explain why NMASA is more interested in bringing a giant floating docks into the country running into billions yet unable to find any use for it till date after its arrival about one year ago?

 

 

“How could you explain why the country should be bleeding for a deliberate financial fraud committed by Dakuku & his men as a result of  demurrage on the floating dock since about one year?

 

 

“How can you develop shipping when the operators & professionals are being sidelined by government agencies? Why should our government officials prefer to work against the interest of Nigerians?

 

In conclusion, NNPC under the leadership of IBE Kachukwu denied Nigerians opportunity to lift cargoes & awarded same to foreign counterparts.

 

 

“Nigerian Navy, rather than concentrating their efforts on their constitutional mandate as an institution of government, tries to undermine commercial shipping activities by introducing illegal approvals which fetches them billions yearly & not receipted for.

 

 

“NIMASA, rather than focusing on the regulatory & shipping development as her mandate, NIMASA is more at home with foreigners to sabotage the Cabotage law, embarking  on frivolous contracts & exposing the country to huge debts through illegal contracts,” he fumed.