Even as the ding-dong over the necessity for a regulator for the Nigerian port system persists, the Shippers Association of Lagos State on Monday urged the Federal Government to upgrade the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the position of maritime regulator.
The Secretary General of the association, Mr Jonathan Nicol said in a statement in Lagos that this would allow the council to regulate activities of shipping companies, terminal operators and prosecute defaulters.
Even as the ding-dong over the necessity for a regulator for the Nigerian port system persists, the Shippers Association of Lagos State on Monday urged the Federal Government to upgrade the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to the position of maritime regulator.
The Secretary General of the association, Mr Jonathan Nicol said in a statement in Lagos that this would allow the council to regulate activities of shipping companies, terminal operators and prosecute defaulters.
It said that NSC was set up without a law to empower it to prosecute maritime offenders, adding that the singular omission had brought about corruption in the sector.
“For the Shippers’ Council to perform its statutory functions effectively, it must be upgraded to a Nigerian Shippers Commission, with all the enabling laws and not just on advisory capacity.
“The industry deserves this status because of its large input to the economy.
“The Nigerian Shippers should not be marginalised in their own industry, but should have permanent membership, participate fully in the Management and dispensation of maritime duties within the Nigerian Shippers’ Council’s Board,’’ it said.
According to the statement, it is therefore, not right to appoint another government department outside the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to regulate activities of stakeholders in the maritime industry.
It said that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), was set up to arrest and prosecute offenders, saying that such power should be given to the NSC in the maritime industry.
“ Until this is done for Nigerian Shippers’ Council, maritime laws will be blatantly violated by stakeholders and they would go scot free, as it is today,’’ it said.
It, however, called for the creation of the Ministry of Maritime that would see to the affairs of the maritime industry, just as the Ministry of Aviation.
“Maritime should have its own ministry, just as we have the Ministry of Aviation. It should be separated from the Ministry of Transport,’’ the statement said.
The statement expressed regret that the Nigerian shippers had not been given the required recognition by government because, it had no direct forum with government, other than the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, which “is only an adviser to the government’’.
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