The Lagos State chapter of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters (ATBOWATON) has unveiled its “One Zone, One Project” agenda to empower its members who may have been hit by the impact of subsidy removal.
According to an official statement made available to our correspondent, this agenda was unveiled in a meeting chaired by the association’s National Acting Board of Trustees Chairman; Mr Frank Meke, as well as the National President, Dr Gani Tarzan Balogun in Lagos on Tuesday.
The association agreed to evaluate its operational impact, reach out to aggrieved members, enthrone reconciliations, factor new developmental strides and also tackle cases of proven double taxation of its members.
Speaking during the meeting, the Lagos State Chapter Chairman of the Association, Engineer Babatunde Lawal stated that the association pioneered and made huge sacrifices for the promotion and growth of water transportation in the state and Nigeria at large, lamenting that unfortunately the association has not benefited for its struggles for effective and secured movement of goods and persons across littoral communities in the state.
Engineer Lawal urged members of the association to be consistent and resist external forces bent to divide the frontline water transportation body, noting that the doors of the association in Lagos is open to everyone who is willing to operate by the extant regulations by federal and state authorities, and the constitution of ATBOWATON.
“We were once at the forefront of ensuring sanity on regulations ecosystem and went to court to prove our case. We recently obtained judgment against certain maritime organisation which do not own or operate boats yet wish to compel registered boat operators to pay levies to them. We must appreciate our members who stood with us at the risk of their lives through the court matter.” Lawal explained.
Speaking on the proposed effort to set up another union of boat operators in Lagos, which members out rightly rejected, Lawal promised to write relevant bodies pushing for the new action to know about the latest position of the association on the matter.
On palliatives for its members, the association disclosed that nothing practical in terms of delivery has reached the members, adding that the new fuel regime is making the business of its members very difficult.
The Lagos State Chapter Chairman of the association further stated that palliatives with any unexplainable and confounding attached conditions will be outrightly rejected by the members. He stressed that any effort to give it anything by right hand and take it back through the left hand, will be politely turned down.
While calling on all stakeholders to collaborate and unite to provide a secured water transportation ecosystem, Lawal welcomed the creation of Marine and Blue economy ministry which according to him will see to the unbundling of the once octopus Ministry of Transportation. He also noted that the association will resist any attempt to polarise its members.
