Jonathan Nicole (Gen. Sec Lagos Shippers Association)
Jonathan Nicole (Gen. Sec Lagos Shippers Association)
I think Shippers Council is the best body that should stand as the port regulator because they are on ground and they are well equipped, they have the personnel and the facilities and they understand what the shipper’s language is. The lawmakers should not politicize the maritime industry, they should not look at the industry as a forum for politics, it is an economic business and we are not politicians, we are business men, without the shipper a lot of things will not be in place, we must not compromise this, we will appeal to the senators or whoever is interested to look critically into the economic aspect and not the political aspect, we must not concern the life wire of a nation to a handful of people that have no interest of the nation at heart, we don't have to look at it as a political thing, it’s an entirely economical business.
Dr. Boniface Aniebonam (Founder NAGAFF)
Nigerian Shippers Council is the most appropriate agency of the government to regulate the port because they have the capacity, the mileage, the human capacity and so on. They know everything about the port, the issue of regulation had to do with all the problems associated with port functions, and they are doing this in advisory capacity, they have what it takes to regulate, there is no other agency, either as NPA or as NIMASA that can do it, apart from this, its going to save the government a lot of money because the structures are already on ground for them to work with. If the port and Harbour bill is to usher in a port regulator and the National Transport Commission, then the shippers council must be empowered to take on the role of regulator instead of them doing it in advisory capacity, the problem in the port is that we do not have any particular organization that we can run to whenever there is problem. This should be immediate because the situation in the port now is 'winner takes it all', it is making our ports very unattractive.
Remi Ogungbemi (Chairman, AMARTO)
There are areas that NIMASA can regulate and there are areas where NPA regulates, and there are also areas where shipper’s council regulates, it depends on the area, they are all regulators. I know NPA to be the landlord of the port, and I know that custom is the owner of the port, anything coming into the port must be on the knowledge of the customs, on whether a regulator should be appointed, NPA is in a better position.
Mazi Tony Ohakwe (Maritime Journalist)
The truth of the matter is that Shippers’ Council Act does not empower it to act as a port regulator and we are aware that the port and harbor bill is still domicile at the national assembly; we don't know what is happening to it at the moment. But looking at the present setting in shipper’s council, I am among those who believed that shipper council ought not to be a government agency rather a private entity because under the council are private driven organizations for instance that is what we have in Ghana. But if the enabling Act establishing the council can be amended and it is made a port regulator, it will be okay, but without the law being amended, they can bark but they cannot bite. The only thing that will make them effective is that they will be an enabling act and again I don't know how well they are carried along in the concessioning of the port because I don't think Shippers Council an important role during port concessioning and let me all so say without mincing words that there is no port concessioning in Nigeria but port leasing because there is no enabling act thus if the council is given the yam and the knife they can act.
Comrade Julius Efokpor (Sec Gen Merchant Navy)
I support the Nigerian Shippers Council to operate as the commercial regulator of the ports rather than to set up another body entirely which will act in that capacity. But the passing into law of the ports and harbor bill is essential in this content. Shippers Council has been in the system for long and they have the experience about complaints made by shippers and freight agents. Setting up another agency to act in that capacity will be duplication of functions and that is why we have the Stephen Oronsaye panel which was established by government to slash some agency of government and even to the extent that some of the agencies were scrapped. Therefore government should amend the law establishing the council to empower it to be the port regulator.
Olorogun Andrew Ugwi (ANLCA)
Giving the Nigerian Shippers Council the role of a commercial regulator will not solve the problem at the ports because everybody is corrupt. If eventually government approves Shippers Council to be the regulator I can take a bet that it will never make any difference from what we have on ground at the ports because some certain interest must be protected. From the president of the country down to the common man on the street are all corrupt, so nobody is expecting anything good from the council to come into the ports and to act or regulate the concessionaires for the interest of the economy.
Eniola Odulaja (Stakeholder)
Stakeholders have clamored over time for the council to play the ombudsman role in port operations therefore if the government finally approves, I believe they would not want to let the people down and the idea for government to set up another agency to act in that capacity is not necessary. However the most important thing is for the house to pass the ports and harbor bill into law.
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