The Nigerian Indigenous ShipOwners Association (NISA) is set to hold its general election after six years of infighting that has led to the formation of factions in the association.
Confirming this to our correspondent; Capt Taiwo Akinpelumi, who is head of the three-man steering committee appointed to resolve the lingering crises and factionalisation in the association last year, confirmed to our correspondent that the association will by next month hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election that will usher-in a new set of executive committee members who will pilot the affairs of the association and take over from the steering committee that has been in place for more than a year.
Akinpelumi disclosed that, although the association is now unified, the election could not take place due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he assured our correspondent that election into respective positions will hold after the AGM that will come up on or before the third week of next month.
According to him, “the COVID-19 affected us a lot, so we are just coming out of it and we are trying to organize an AGM, so that we can actually brief members on what we've done so far, so we take it from there, so members will be carried along with the election we are planning”
“The unification has been done, there is no faction anymore, so what we are trying to do is to organize elections for the executive offices, so instead of a steering committee, we will have authentic executive in place
“And we are looking at the possibility of the third week of next month in October. It is during the AGM that we will appoint an election committee that will usher in the new executives” he said.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, as fallout of the elections that produced a faction headed by Capt Niyi Labinjo on October 24th, 2014, another association, Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) founded by Engr Greg Ogbeifun sprang up.
Ogbeifun had contested against Labinjo, lost the election and thereafter proceeded with some members to establish SOAN.
A member of NISA and Chairman of Japaul Group, Mr. Paul Jegede, had acknowledged in an earlier media chat that, indigenous ship owners had suffered neglect as a result of the division within the association, he had added that NISA’s decision to reunite would help members speak with one voice in order to attract government’s attention.
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