Transport Minister; Amaechi ‎Promises To Empower Shippers’ Council As Port Economic Regulator

Minister of Transport; Mr. Rotimi Amaechi has assured that his office will pay more attention to ensuring that the Nigeria Shippers Council is empowered to regulate‎ all the stakeholders in the maritime sector efficiently.
Amaechi gave this assurance when he visited the agency on Monday. He was full of commendations for the Council, saying that he will learn more from the Shippers Council on how to push the industry forward.
At an interactive session with the staff of the council, he charged them to support the government to achieve its fight against corruption and engender a more stable economy for all Nigerians to participate in.
The Minister advised other agencies in the transport sector to take a cue from the Shippers Council in terms of organization, management and maintenance of clean environment.
He said: “If I am to learn, I will learn more from the Shippers Council‎ because that is the one that concerns me more, I am going to know what you do and how to ensure the industry runs well”
“You appear more organized and I am impressed with the environment, I hope others will learn from you, it can’t be poverty that is making the other agencies look dirty as they are, government has spent billions of naira on them and nothing to show”
“Organization wise, I congratulate the Shippers Council and I promise that whatever it takes to implement the law, believe me we will support you” he assured.
He however said that the government is confronted with financial constraints. He said that the fall in the price of crude oil is bad for the government and that government is trying to manage its lean resources to achieve its objectives.
According to him, it is difficult for government to rehabilitate the rails because of the fall in crude oil price. He assured that President Buhari is trying to pay 2billion dollars to a Chinese company to construct the rail lines from Lagos to Kano.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Council; Mr Hassan Bello said that it is only the maritime sector that can fill the revenue gap and cushion the effect of the financial pitfalls that Nigeria is facing.
He appealed to the minister to provide the Shippers Council with the political will and courage in order to be able to carry out its regulatory role effectively.
Bello also appealed to the Minister to work out a financial autonomy for the‎ council because according to him, being a regulator of the ports takes a lot of financial commitments and in view of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), this might be challenging.
He appealed to the minister for the council to be given autonomy in running it’s account since the money was generated by the shippers themselves for the council.
Appealing for exemption from the TSA, he said: “We are calling for special consideration for the maritime economy, regulation is very important for that potentiality to be realized and‎ we are not getting the money from federal accounts or allocations or budget, this is money that is being generated by shippers themselves so that we can work for them”
“The sector is really important and deliberately chosen for the minister to unlock the potentials in the sector; there is no person who can do it but you and your team”
“We need the support of the ministry of transport in order to carry our regulatory role; we need the political will and courage‎ which you personally exemplify”
“The Council has the platform of engaging all stakeholders – Customs, shipping companies, terminal operators, NPA, NIMASA; we are the only people who can coordinate all these because we are neutral”
‎”I want you to immediately encourage the synergy between the agencies in the sector, we have the same goal but we are so far apart, we need to come together exchange ideas and overlapping functions”
The shipper’s council boss also called for automation, because according to him, the current method of clearing cargoes in the port is primitive.