Engineer Matthew Alalade (President Merchant Navy)
My assessment of the minister in the last twelve months is that he has performed below average, for obvious reasons. We are still watching the situation but our assessment definitely is below average and he can only succeed when he gets it right. We want the issue of national fleet to come on stream, so that we can move forward because it goes beyond mere pronouncement that we may soon have the much talked about national fleet. However, politics is more in the mind of Amaechi than discharging his duty as minister of transportation.
Otunba Mike Adekoya (Chairman KLT, NAGAFF)
To me I don't think the minister has done anything significant in the maritime sector since his appointment. NPA is not properly monitored by the minister, there is no job to do in off-dock terminal and we want him to come over to where the businesses are suffering. We are no longer enjoying the business as it were in time past; therefore we want the minister to go round other facilities aside the seaports. Amaechi needs to know the situation of the terminals at the moment. We will want him to do something fast, to know what is happening. Besides I don't think he has performed since he was appointed.
Chris Sadoh (SMA)
The Buhari led government has not done much in the maritime industry, therefore, there is no point to commend his administration; likewise his ministers. It’s just one year ago he appointed his ministers and I think in the coming years hopefully, things would be better. But for the Minister of Transportation, I will say there is the need for government to implement some of its policies in the maritime industry, however nothing good is to be said about the minister at this point in time.
Mr. Tunji Obagbo (POTEMAN)
I commend his coming to the ministry because the ministry of transport is a very large ministry with about 13 parastatals. It’s a two way thing – Amaechi is not a transport person and in my own observation the minister is on course because he is involved in so many things at the moment. He is involved with issue of national carrier, issue of journalists coming together under one umbrella, CRFFN collection of POF etc, and he is also battling with some other agencies like road and rail, so it is worthy to note that he is on course and the time is still too short for assessment.
Julius Efokpor (Scribe Merchant Navy)
To me, he has not performed because he came with the mind set of politics and the sector has been politicised. Imagine the Minister scrapping the Maritime University. He just came in and pronounced about the scrapping of the university, which is wrong. The issue of national carrier is no child's play, and he failed to include master mariners in the committee who have key role to play for the acquisition of ships for the country. The minister, I will say has not performed and we thank God that the National Assembly is addressing the issue of the university.
Dr. Zebulon Ikokide (President NIFFCB)
To assess the minister of transport is a herculean task that one needs consult an Oracle. The assessment will take a form of a question like, what is the general principles of the APC government, does the government of APC have any clue on how government should be run. If no, then how can a minister perform? The minister of transport has no data for assessment and has not created any data to that effect. Therefore he is as empty as when he assumed office, without any impact in the maritime industry for the past one year.
Chief Jones Idemili (Chairman AREFFN Apapa)
There is nowhere you can assess the minister's performance for one year , when there are bottlenecks all over. Since his appointment as the minister of transportation, there have been problems in the maritime industry. Amaechi has been able to be involved in most of them despite that there is no solution yet, but I believe in dialogue and the minister has been consulting, meetings are being held to make sure that the maritime industry in particular bounces back. He met so many challenges on ground and this is just one year and he has been going around to address this, thus it’s a gradual process.
Ugochukwu Nnadi (Deputy President NAGAFF)
It’s unfortunate that when the administration came on board they were talking about change, but there is no change anywhere and the maritime sector is not an exception. Shippers’ Council has not been empowered as expected, same goes for CRFFN, so I think the minister is dedicated in ensuring that thinks work out for good.
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