The Nigerian Shippers Council branch of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation's and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) has said that the Council needs more workers that would be able to implement its mandate as it seeks to transmute into the proposed National Transport Commission (NTC).
Speaking exclusively with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos at the weekend, President of the association, Comrade Adikwu Mukhtar noted that in terms of intellectual capabilities and physical structures, the shippers’ council has what it takes to transmute into the transport commission.
He however said that the council currently has less than 500 staff nationwide and this is too small to drive the transport commission.
While reacting to a report last week by the President of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Senior Staff Association of Communication Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC); Comrade Benson Adegbeyeni that NPA should rather be made the transport commission; Comrade Mukhtar blasted Adegbeyeni saying that he is being ignorant.
On the NTC Bill currently before the Senate, he said "The National Transport Commission is bigger than the Shippers Council and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); the commission is not about the ports, it is about all the transport modes in this country"
"It is not just about the Nigerian Shippers Council, we are not even the one agitating, it is the government that said that because of our spread, we have offices in almost 26 states of the country, this is why government says we should transmute"
"There is even a possibility that NPA staff could be co-opted because the shippers council as it is now would be too small to manage the entire transport commission"
"Comrade Benson is a bit ignorant of the whole idea of the transport commission for him to say that a tenant cannot regulate a landlord.
"The staff strength of council is not up to 500, and to handle a commission that would handle all modes of transportation, you need a lot of human resources"
Comrade Mukhtar urged agencies of government in maritime sector not to see themselves as rivals on the NTC, but rather see that they are all working for the good of the federal government.
He reiterated that, "in terms of human capacity and facility for the council to take care of NTC, Nigerian Shippers Council has all it takes, training and retraining is one of our major watchword in the council. In terms of structural capability we have seven Coordinator offices and 15 area offices, our presence is seen everywhere so it would be easy for the council to transmute, all we need is the human resources to beef it up".
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