Nigerian Maritime Industry Conscience and Chairman, Ports Consultative Council, Otunba Kunle Folarin has observed that neither the Federal Government, nor the Nigerian people would attract optimum benefits, until the nation’s maritime industry is separated from the transportation sector and run as a separate and distinct entity.
The PCC Chairman highlighted this in Lagos Tuesday, just as the immediate past National President, Association of Nigerian License Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu pleaded with the Presidency, not to remain blinded by the fast waning Dollars from crude oil, but timely provide now, new life and wings to the Maritime Industry subsector.
Pointing out that till date, the country was yet to derive desired dividends from its maritime and shipping endowments, Otunba Kunle Folarin wondered why Government had delayed the creation of the Maritime/ Shipping Ministry which would have technically solved the challenges of employment and youth restiveness, when it could create the Ministry of Aviation and Water Resources, both of which returns could not deliver what the Maritime is delivering, even in its ‘lacklustre’ state!
“The only answer is to make the maritime industry a
stand alone institution. That is when, it will truly start to develop.
“One of the ways to show relevance is by being visible in the economy. It is only until recently, that people in the port, as stakeholders have tried to showcase areas of Maritime relevance.
Also Read: NIMASA has no obligation for detained seafarers – Otunba Folarin
“Until relevance is emphasised, nobody will take you
seriously. It is a straight forward issue, when the relevance is not emphasised
or shown, nobody will take you seriously.
“For instance, why do you have a Ministry of water
resources when you don’t even have the domestic water? But then, you are
emphasizing it! And gradually they are heading somewhere. Now, who is in charge
of all that?
“So, you have a minister of water resources, for water
that is for domestic use, but there is none for ‘water resources’ that is for
transportation? Which one have you emphasised?”, wondered Otunba,
stressing that any natural endowment that is not properly appreciated and
harnessed, would gradually depreciate.
“As long as we are running our maritime industry in
this way, in ways that shows the little value we put on it, we will continue to
attract inadequacy of bebefits.
“Until recently the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics was
even isolating the GDP of transport sector. The GDP of transport, which is the
productivity status of transportation in the economy was even highlighted
haphazardly. It was not reflected in the GDP. So, how can the Central Bank even
know your contribution?
Otunba Kunle Folarin insisted that if the nation’s maritime/
Shipping industry must yield optimally, it must also first enjoy a
‘recognition’ that begins with the CBN, as well as the Federal Government,
stressing that body language also matters.
“Recognition for relevance starts from money; it starts
from the Central Bank. It was the CBN that developed agriculture, by saying to
the commercial banks: ‘you must treat agric as a preferred sector!’
“Secondly, you must allocate so much percentage of
your funds to develop agriculture.
“3. you must give agricultural loans to people, to a
maximum of so and so percent. That is a total recognition and with that also,
the relevance of agriculture in the economy blossomed!
Today, some call it preferred sector; and some call it the
real sector.
“So, agriculture got to where it is today, after the
authorities directed: ‘you must give a percentage of your financial receipts
to develop agriculture’ and that ‘loans must be issued at certain
level’.
“But for us in Nigeria, the cargo transport business
has so far, remained at the kindergarten level; and would remain there in the
primary sense, until the CBN and the Government recognize the relevance of
transport”, he explained further, grieving that Government is wandering
aimlessly at solving the problem of generating foreign exchange, creating
multiple job opportunities and ending youth restiveness, while neglecting the
maritime industry, which remains a single, simple tool for achieving them,
going by huge advantage Nigeria enjoys divinely.
Speaking in the same vein, an industry watcher, Samuel
Egbewole blamed the woes of the industry to Government’s consistent putting of
square pegs in round holes, and noting sadly, that the current Minister of Transportation
had finally reduced the industry to a Ministry of Railway!
“When you a make a man oversees two or three
portfolios, the natural tendency is for him to grab the one he considers
easiest and run with it! Is that not what has happened with the Ministry of
Power, Works and Housing?
“There is no foreman in the system any longer. The
present Transportation Minister has sadly turned the entire thing into a
Ministry for railway priority. Everything is either about railway; or it is
nothing!
“Everyone, including even the President knows his heart
is for the railways; but more so, at the expense of shipping and the Maritime
Industry”, Egbewole stated, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to direct
that maritime be given a separate ministry, if the dream of a national fleet
would not remain a mirage.
“Aviation is today better run, because it is standing
alone. Aviation is recognised because it stands alone. It means whoever Mr.
President puts there must wake up and think of what next to do, at least, to
look busy. But when you run after the cheaper, less complex portfolio on daily
basis, only the few informed would know that other mandates are
suffering!”, he explained further, asking, “if you are in doubt, tell
me what the Government has achieved in the maritime industry on the basis of
basis of the Ministry’s sole effort.
Meanwhile, the immediate past National President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu has observed that a major fallout of the crude oil money had been the non diversification of the economy.
Also Read: Why cargo clearing and corruption are Siamese twin- Shittu
He therefore stresses the need for President Buhari to give
the diversification agenda a practical meaning by bringing more attention to
the Nigerian Maritime industry.
It would be recalled that several authorities in the
maritime industry, including Senior Advocate Agbakoba, have calculated that
Nigeria is annually losing over N5trilion as a result of non performance of the
nation’s shipping sector.