The Ship Owners of Nigeria SOAN has begun fine-tuning arrangements towards ensuring a befitting birthday bash, for its arrowhead, Dr. MkGeorge Onyung, who marks his Platinum Jubilee this week.
A man who greatly values his spirituality; the Maritime First gathered that SOAN President is flagging off the programme with a Thanksgiving Service at the SS Philips and James Catholic Church, Idado Lekki, Lagos.
Dignitaries would later move to Naval Dockyard Conference Centre, near NTA, Victoria Island, Lagos, for the Grand Reception.
The SOAN President, High Chief, Dr. MkGeorge Onyung is highly revered for his selfless and committed fight, for a timely disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).
“Time is now to disburse the CVFF, to take back our industry from foreigners. If we have ships, no one will ask us to pay risk charges”, Dr. Onyung had responded swiftly, at a recent event pointing out that whatever is disbursed would be used to buy good vessels to boost the nation’s local shipping.
He also tasked the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to make available copies of the amended CVFF Act to the industry stakeholders.
Moments later, Dr. Onyung was altruistically stressing the need for evolving a date in a year “to celebrate the late Otunba Kunle Folarin.
Fiery, if the occasion calls for it, the SOAN leader, despite his favourable disposition to the NNPC and its management, had swiftly taken a swipe against the organisation, for failing to arrest foreign vessels operating in the country at Nigeria’s expense, despite laudable efforts of the Nigerian Local Content, to do the needful
In a letter, emphasizing the existence of a breach, the SOAN under Onyung mandate had called the NIMASA’s attention to the NNPC’s warped mode of award Contracts to foreign vessel owners for Coastal Shipping for petroleum products in the downstream petroleum sector.
“The Ship Owners’ Association Of Nigerian (SOAN) hereby register our protest to this show of bad faith and lack of patriotism displayed by NNPC despite the fact that Nigerian Shipowners and operators have demonstrable capacity to operate this contract exclusively and have expressed willingness to accept freight payments in Naira whereas UNIBROS will only accept US Dollar payments resulting in further drain on our extremely scarce foreign exchange resources.
“We point out to you Sir, that this contract award will result in amplification of capital flight, valued in excess of $100M annually and to the detriment of our economy and employment loss. In addition, no Customs import duty has been paid for any of the 14 vessels in question, again in breach of our nation’s fiscal and monetary policies.
“Nigerian owned and flagged vessels are made to pay full Customs duty and appropriate taxes on earnings which foreign shipping companies have continually illegally evaded.
“Also, note that no Seafarer training or local content strategic plan whatsoever is in place in line with the NOGCID laws.
The Birthday begins as the nation’s shipping industry returns from a deserved Eid-el Fitr Celebrations.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. ONYUNG…
“MANY HAPPY RETURNS” SOAN!!
