There is palpable fear within the Nigerian maritime sector over which agencies will survive the surgical knives of the federal government’s committee on restructuring and rationalization of its agencies and departments. The committee is headed by a former Head of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye.
The committee was inaugurated last August by President Goodluck Jonathan to review the existence, viability and necessity for the nation’s 541 federal departments and agencies.
There is palpable fear within the Nigerian maritime sector over which agencies will survive the surgical knives of the federal government’s committee on restructuring and rationalization of its agencies and departments. The committee is headed by a former Head of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye.
The committee was inaugurated last August by President Goodluck Jonathan to review the existence, viability and necessity for the nation’s 541 federal departments and agencies.
Although, the committee was given only seven months to complete its assignment, it is reportedly being faced with the challenge of lobbyists from some of the agencies that are being considered for dissolution, some of which are from the maritime industry.
There are indications that the Oronsaye committee may have recommended the pruning down of the agencies from 541 to only 168, an indication that about 373 chief executives of these agencies may be sacked.
A source in the presidency told Shipping Position Daily affirmatively that even though there are not many agencies in the maritime sector; axe is dangling on NIMASA, Shippers’ Council and the National Inland Waterways Authourity (NIWA).
According to the source, while Shippers’ Council is being recommended for scrapping is, “because of earlier recommendations that it’s better run as a private sector-driven body than a wholly federal government agency”. “The committee could not really ascertain why the Shippers’ Council should be an agency of the Federal Government in an era when attention is turning towards engaging the private sector more”.
On the fate of NIMASA, the source confirmed that its survival is being threatened by the opposition from both the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA), both of which have reportedly accused the agency of usurping their traditional roles.
Specifically, the duo allegedly canvassed for the scrapping of NIMASA and the return of their traditional roles. While Navy reiterated that the practice all over the world is that the Navy is responsible for safety of crew and cargo on board any ships sailing into any country’s territorial waters, NPA allegedly raised questions over the duplication of some of its responsibilities by NIMASA.
The committee was also reminded that NIMASA (formerly , National Maritime Authourity) was carved out of Nigerian Shippers’ Council in 1987, while the later was also created in 1978, it’s being suggested that the two agencies should be merged to become one, as it being practiced in some countries with similar maritime status as Nigeria.
Also, the recent concessioning of the nation’s maritime domain by the federal government through NIMASA was said to have further offered the needed platform for the Navy to canvass for the scrapping of the agency.
For the first time since the decision was taken, the Navy seized the opportunity of its presentation before the Oronsaye committee to kick against the contract, even as it stressed that the fact that NIMASA is willing to abdicate that responsibility to a private sector organization is a further confirmation of its continued irrelevance.
Our source also hinted that the case of NIWA reportedly also came up and many members of the committee are said to be of the opinion that the agency has not done enough to justify its continual existence. According to him, it is being proposed that NIWA should be scrapped and its functions transferred to what becomes of the agitation to scrap NIMASA and may be Shippers Council.
The report of the committee is expected to be submitted any moment from now.
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