Nzeribe Ebere (Secretary, Tin Can Chapter ANLCA)
My question is; what is wrong with the Shippers’ Council that they want to transmute it into the NTC? This is a country where we create different bodies when we feel the first one is not living up to expectations forgetting that it's not the establishment in itself that will bridge the expected gap, but the policy of implementation of the relevant laws that governs its existence which lies on the government of the day. Therefore, I believe that transmuting the shippers’ council into the National Transport Commission will not make much impact in the maritime industry. Instead the shippers’ council should be empowered to achieve the same set goal NTC is expected to achieve.
Nichodemus Odollo (Shippers Association, Lagos State)
I support the creation or establishment of NTC, but disagree with the shippers’ council being transmuted into NTC. Shipper's Council should and must be left for shippers to run and administered to actualised its original purpose of protecting the interest of shippers as obtainable in countries of the world.
The government officials running the shippers council are not sincere to have taken the properties, offices and other equipments of the Council to be used for NTC. I may be forced to seek legal redress on this if this decision is not reversed. It is unfortunate in this country that every laws made in Nigeria is always for the benefit and interest of individuals and not for benefit of the nation. Other countries established shippers’ councils and being administered by the shippers, but Nigeria established her own to be run by the government officials for the government and not for the shippers.
Dr. Zebulon Ilesanmi Ikokide (President, Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders)
The agitation for the creation of a National Transport Commission (NTC) has been on for some years now and if finally Shippers’ Council got it, then it is well. Currently, there are various agencies and bodies controlling transportation in the country, but with the establishment of the NTC, it is good for one body to handle the transport industry as proposed in the bill. Therefore, I support the move.
C.A.T Agubamah (President, NAFAC)
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) has been calling for passage of the NTC bill for many years now, the Bill is long overdue to bring in some regulatory action, modernity and order in our road transport sector.
However, I absolutely do not think that Shippers’ Council should be made to handle the NTC, this is because their calls are far separated. Indeed I have not seen the Bill but from conception years back, it's all about regulation of transport sector.
When I was active in CILT, it was about regulating the provision and providers of transport services and not about users. Shippers’ Council is about users’ interests. How do you mix the agencies to make sense and ease of administration?
Paul Ndibe (CILT)
The issue of a National Transport Commission has long been expected. We have been expecting something like this, just like national transport policy. Now that the government is coming out with NTC, the critical thing is that in other not to have multiplicity of agencies, it might be necessary to look into the agencies of the government to see if there is any of the agencies whose duties are closely related to the functions of NTC and then allow that organisation to commence implementation. And once that implementation has started the government will now look at how to expand it. If they come out with a new organisation they will have a litany of staff and that will increase the wage bill of the government. So for now since it is something new government can look inside and see how they can allow an organization to extend their functions to cover what is provided in the act.
Mary Hamman (WISTA)
I don’t think the NTC is necessary because it will be a very big task. It will be too big, even now that it is broken into sub heads or parastatals you can still see that we have problems. And when you make it like that, you will see that the chain of command will be only one coming down. Unlike now, for example, shippers’ council is doing their own; NIMASA, NPA and all that they are all on their own. NIMASA is doing the policy and regulating them and NPA are the landlord. So you see one person cannot do all these things. I don’t know how they want to do it.
Eugene Nweke (NAGAFF)
We can’t wait for them to pass the NTC, bill they are delaying in doing that, they should fast forward it. That bill is very important because it is will stand in between the missing gap that was missed during the concessioning exercise. It will also stand in between the Nigerian Consumers Agency amongst others. All the transport agencies will be properly regulated through this bill on behalf of the government. It is a good bill.
Captain Anthony Onoarigho (President, Nigerian Institute of Sipping)
I have not fully gone through that bill, but whatever the country or the president or the senate feel they can do to move the country forward from what it is today, is a welcomed development. Any bill that is what will move this country from where we are today is good.
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