A Chief Officer, Mr Emmanuel Tanimola, has urged the Federal Ministry of Transportation to be cautious in re-establishing the national carrier to avoid a repeat of what happened to the liquidated Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL).
Tanimola made the plea in an interview with newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.
He said that there was need to use the ample opportunity at the country’s disposal to correct the past errors with care, adding that “the national carrier is a necessity’’.
Tanimola said that there should be an understanding of the economic potentiality of the environment.
“We cannot afford to go the wrong way with the wrong concept again.
“Therefore, we must be able to lay a solid foundation that can stand the test of time both internally and externally, locally and internationally.
“We must create an enabling environment guided by suitable laws and monitored by professionals.
“The advantages of the national carrier are so far greater than the disadvantages,“ NAN quotes Tanimola as saying.
He mentioned some advantages of the national carrier such as: job creation; increasing country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); solidifying shipping; and establishing national strength among committee of nations.
The chief officer commended the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi for taking the right step by constituting a committee headed by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Hassan Bello, to implement the national carrier.
“The billions of dollars we paid to foreign seafarers every year should be paid to Nigerian seafarers and received from foreign investors as well.
“By the time we start collecting foreign exchange from services rendered to other nations, selling of cargoes and so forth.
“ We shall forget the days of suffering and soaring high in abundance, “ NAN quotes Tanimola as saying.
He said that the re-establishment of the national carrier would solidify shipping industry and stimulate other developments in the maritime industry.
Tanimola called for the establishment of a Maritime Bank to oversee the finances of the industry.
He said that Marine insurance companies would play their roles effectively.
The shipping operator said that cargoes and personnel, adding that Nigeria needs to maintain ships and build new ones as the business expands.
Tanimola suggested the establishment of maritime schools to train professionals in different disciplines to meet up with the demands of services and labour in the maritime industry.
He said that if the National carrier is properly managed, Nigeria would attract many foreign investors.
Tanimola, however, said the establishment of the national carrier would stop wastes and blocked all leakage.
According to him, those using the present situation to make more money for themselves and impoverish the nation’s economy will stop.
The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, at a two-day stakeholders’ conference on maritime industry in May in Lagos stressed the need to reposition the maritime industry.
Amaechi expressed concern that Nigeria did not have a national carrier since the collapse of the NNSL.
NAN also reports that the Federal Ministry of Transportation Committee on National Fleet said on Wednesday that it was working toward promoting a sustainable merchant shipping and private sector-driven national fleet in Nigeria.
Bello said that so far, the committee had been having discussions with many companies with the aim of looking at the best way of promoting a private sector- driven national fleet.
He said that the committee had been divided into sub-committees, adding that some were working toward providing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the Federal Government, Pacific International Line (PIL), shipping linesand indigenous shipping companies.
“Pacific International Line will own 40 per cent of the joint venture while the Nigerian private sector will own 60 per cent of the venture.
“The methodology and the process will be rolled out soon.
“Presently there are lots of proposals we are also considering because the whole
segment is for us to have both regional and international shipping,’’ NAN quotes Bello as saying.
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