By Joshua Yousouph
The Founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has rallied for the cooperation of all stakeholders in the maritime industry to support the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the forthcoming general elections in the country.
Addressing newsmen at the National Headquarters of NAGAFF in Lagos on Friday, Dr. Aniebonam who is also the founder of NNPP stressed the need for maritime actors to actively get involved in politics to change the worrisome narratives of the current port system and processes.
Aniebonam noted that things can only change positively when maritime stakeholders take their place in politics. He however called for a collective responsibility amongst stakeholders to redefine Nigeria through quality leadership and good governance.
The NAGAFF boss noted that NNPP which was founded in 2002, which originated from the transport industry has commenced preparations to mobilize Nigerians in the bid to reinvent a new Nigeria of our dreams.
He, therefore, stated the importance of maritime stakeholders playing a major role in ensuring that NNPP emerges victorious in the coming 2023 elections. According to him, this decision is necessary to enable stakeholders to address the industry problems from within.
“We must work hard to change things from within. If we think those of us in the maritime industry will continue to turn out papers to the National Assembly or Presidency and we are not duly-represented there, the problem of the port will remain. We need to get there. It is left for us to defend ourselves and to do that, we must get into politics. You need to mobilise your people to vote your party into power so that you can begin to enjoy the dividends of democracy. Power is not given, but taken or negotiated” Aniebonam stated.
Speaking further, Aniebonam said Nigeria must move from a consumption nation to a productive economy.
“It is important to remind all of us that for the period under review the industry practitioners have been complaining about low productivity and corruption. And yet nobody is listening to us, to the extent that our professional callings cannot be achieved including job satisfaction.
Therefore, we must engage the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party at the moment to extract a firm commitment from them. We must therefore form a strong block and drive membership and finances as part of our contributions to the success of NNPP in 2023. It is only then we can bargain effectively to secure our interest and a better future”, he said.
The NNPP founder also encouraged freight forwarders, logistics managers and all other associated stakeholders in the maritime transport and Customs formations to return to mobilize bonafide voters for NNPP contestants in the 2023 general election.
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“The good news is that the founder of NNPP is from the transport industry and indeed the founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) as well. Therefore, the reach and opportunity abound to get the attention of Senator Kwankwaso who is the sole candidate of the party in the 2023 general election”, he stressed,
Aniebonam added that the party’s Special National Convention scheduled for June 8 in Abuja was just to confirm Kwankwaso, a former defence minister, as the candidate of NNPP.
“He (Kwankwaso) is to be returned unopposed. Kwankwaso is a man of God.
“Now is the time for God’s intervention in Nigeria. What Nigeria need now is a strong leader like Kwankwaso, a man with character and patriotism with capacity for human development.
“When we get a strong leader, all agitations will die a natural death. If Kwankwaso emerges the President, some of these problems will be resolved,” he said.
He added that the responsibility before Kwankwaso was to reunite Nigerians, address insecurity through a revamped economy, employment opportunities and social services.
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