Tafida becomes IMO 1st Vice President: So what?

Typically Nigeria, everyone have been congratulating Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK; Dr Dalhatu Tafida over his ‘election’ on Monday as the First Vice President of the 28th General Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

So, I begin to wonder if he actually campaigned for the post, or it was just the turn of West and Central Africa to occupy the position and the lot fell on Nigeria. The fact is - it was the turn of West Africa to fill the slot and Nigeria, having backed out of the contest for seat in the Council of the IMO was compensated.

Others elected alongside Dr. Tafida are Mr. Ünal Çeviköz, (Turkey) as Assembly President and Ms Ana Irene Delgado, (Panama) 2nd Vice President.

Have we pondered that - If it were by credentials and accomplishments, Nigeria probably wouldn’t have got it.

In the opinion of Nigeria’s Minister of Transport; Idris Umar, the biggest  achievement that probably got Nigeria the position is that: ``Nigeria is one of the leading countries that send candidates to the World Maritime University in Sweden and indeed the IMO values that and takes it important”!

As we ‘celebrate’ Dr Tafida, can we quickly ponder again, if this position will in any way positively aid our battered maritime industry? Will it offer sea time to our graduating cadets, and will it increase our bottoms. My candid answer is NO.

Rather than accept the obviously  Honorary title of  1^st Vice President of the 28^th Assembly of the IMO, Nigeria should have totally aligned with the reasoning of the DG of NIMASA, which informed the country’s decision not to (again) waste her resources in another jamboree of wanting to contest for Category ‘C’ Council seat of the global maritime body.

Reacting to Dr Tafida’s emergence, Nigeria’s the Minister of Transport said it was a big achievement for the country and indeed for West and Central Africa!

``It is a prestige and a mark of recognition and a trust in the ability of Nigeria”!

Not done yet, he added that: ``As Vice President of the IMO, Nigeria will play a significant role in the affairs of the international organisation because in the absence of the President, the Vice will preside over its meetings”!

The fact that the position is filled by a Diplomat rather than a maritime expert or someone in that genre, further underscores its near-irrelevance to our course as a maritime nation that is in dire need of a lift from near drowning.

Just like our own Dr Tafida, the new President, Mr Unal Cevikoz, is the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to the United Kingdom. In like manner, the 2^nd Vice President; Ms

Ana Irene Delgado is of the Embassy of Panama in London.

If our membership of the Category ‘C’ Council did not in anyway impact positively on our rating as a maritime nation without ships, if it did not help the plight of our young seafarers and if it did not in any way assist indigenous ship owners to better their lot, certain, there is nothing that the election of our High Commissioner to the UK will add to our profile.

It remains a honour and an enhancement of the profile of Dr Tafida alone and nothing more.