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| Executive Secretary/CEO; Nigerian Shippers' Council and Minister Of Transport: Senator Idris Umar |
Chambers Of Shipping Throws Weight Behind Shippers Council
The profile of Nigerian Shippers’ Council soared again yesterday as the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) joined the rank of stakeholders who are clamouring for the Council to assume the status of the commercial regulator of operations in the Nigerian port system.
The Chamber also reiterated the need for the Federal Government to expedite action in putting in place a commercial regulator for the ports.
The chamber however advised government to empower the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to act as the ombudsman in port operations, saying that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is already saddled with too many responsibilities.
Addressing a group of journalists under the aegis of Maritime Correspondents Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON), the Director General of the chamber; Mrs Ify Akerele pointed out that there is an aggressive need to put in place a commercial regulator to enhance effective in the Nigerian ports.
She noted that the non-passage of the Ports and Harbour Bill has hampered maritime investment in the country.
Akerele said that the NCS will support the NSC in ensuring that it gets the role of a commercial regulator adding that the chamber will contribute its quota to the national assembly in ensuring that the executive bill is passed into law.
She reiterated that there is an aggressive need for an independent body outside the jurisdiction of the NPA to take control of economic and commercial regulator with a view to sanitize port activities.
The NCS boss affirmed that NPA is saddled with the responsibilities of the movement of ships on waters, technical operations of the ports and monitoring what goes on on the channel including berthing arrangement of vessels at the ports.
The Director General affirmed that the absence of a commercial regulator in port operations is one of the burning issues that need urgent attention by the President of the country.
"I think what we are going to do now in conjunction with the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is to carry ourselves to the National Assembly to make sure that the Bill is passed into law for the Shippers’ Council to take control of regulating the ports", she stressed.
Akerele however appealed to the maritime media to support and champion the course for the Council to take up the role of arbiter in port operation.
According to her, the banking and telecommunication sector of the economy have fared better due to the regulatory agencies put in place to monitor activities of operators.
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