Dr. Muda Yusuf (Chief Executive Officer, CPPE)
I think the situation of the maritime sector has got worse from a number of angles. The cost of clearing cargo, the difficulties, access to the port, issues of processes and documentation, the level of corruption, lack of infrastructure, the capacity of the port and others have deteriorated and all of these things impact on ease of doing. Ease of doing business has been very poor in the maritime industry. Between the military regime and now, the economy and volume of import have grown, but the capacity of the port has not grown. It has led to all manner of chaos, congestion, inefficiencies and all that. We are still not using technology enough. We are in a technological age where things have moved, but we are still doing this like the way we have been before. We still don’t have a deep sea port after many years. The insurance premium on our vessels is very high because of problems of insecurity and delays which add to the cost. Nothing has changed significantly.
Babatunde Mukaila (National Secretary, ANLCA)
I am of the opinion that we are best served in maritime sector under a democratically elected regime, irrespective of the emerging challenges. We have fared well, for instance the port concession has improved the service delivery immensely, but more is still desired.
Equally, modernisation and transparency of process is emerging, all thanks to the opportunity to engage and speak out to the authority without fear or favour by the stakeholders.
Comrade Ifeanyi Abel Chukwu (Merchant Navy)
Democracy brought the Cabotage regime. I would say the maritime industry is improving although we might not have got there, because the essence of Cabotage regime is for us to be in charge of our territorial waters and that will provide jobs for our teeming seafarers unlike before when the foreigners are the one in charge. If we’re able to put some of the developments we’re experiencing. I think it is better off than the military regime. It is because of democracy we can go to shipping companies and challenge them to employ our seafarers unlike the military era when you don’t even have any basis or impetus to challenge them.
Segun Musa (National Deputy President, NAGAFF)
It could have been better if the leadership of Nigeria had saddled core practitioners with the responsibility of managing the sector, but unfortunately it was given to politicians as compensation and that is responsible for the nosedive that the industry is witnessing. The last minister of transport is the worst ever experienced in the sector. We can only hope that the next regime would take this industry serious by handing it over to practitioners to revamp and reposition.
Captain Adetayo Saliu (Merchant Navy Shipping Zonal Council)
I think the democracy era is better compared to the military. There have been lots of diversifications compared to the rigid way we’ve been doing it before. Although that doesn’t mean there are no shortcomings, but we’re far better than the military era. The problem of Nigeria’s maritime industry is not an issue of the military or democratic system of government, but about how we are managing the industry. We are expected to allow professionals to handle and oversee the affairs of all agencies. They should be chosen by merit and not just fellow political cronies as done in the military era. However, looking back, our current situation it is still better than the military regime.
Francis Omotoso (Registrar, NAGAFF Academy)
During the military era, there were strict policies as regards foreign exchange whereby only their allies and close friends that can have access to the Nigerian foreign exchange account. It was not open to everybody. You need to get permits and all that. Only those close to the military powers could practice and make gains. Coming to the democracy era, it came to liberate everyone from the powers and grip of the military. Yes, we have got the liberation, but to be very sincere we have not actively improved as far as the maritime industry is concerned. I do expect much more in the democracy era, but what I see is not really encouraging but I know we can still do better. During the military era, they appoint their close allies, but during democracy, it is even worse. Democracy is supposed to be an improvement, but I cannot see much difference. We must come together and tell the government to put the right peg in the right holes, so that we can move forward.
Clinton Okoro (APFFLON PRO, Tin Can Chapter)
I would say yes, in the sense that in 1999 when democracy started, we could breathe in fresh air in the maritime industry because the policies that Obasanjo brought followed with the ones Yar’adua came with and even Jonathan had a human face. But from 2015 till date, we have been suffocated in the maritime industry by the policies the federal government has been imposing on maritime industry. We have never seen it this way. This is the worse era in the democracy system since 1999. We’re currently having an autocratic government where we can no longer air our views ad be listened to.
Pius Ujubuonu (ANLCA Chieftain)
Nigeria was doing well and moving forward from 1999 to 2015. Nigeria was structured and the decision to concession our ports was a nice one and some of the reforms that were brought were good, even though it has its own shortcomings but as least we could see that Nigeria was almost moving forward nearly in all facets of our national life until 2013, until the merger between ANPP, CPC, some parts of APGA and ACN. They destroyed everything that was supposed to keep us as a nation. The whole country became dismembered and affected the populace. Nigeria was not doing better under the military but things turned round from 2016 upwards and Nigeria lost almost everything. There is no part of the Nigerian line that can be said to be doing well presently. It is not a matter of military and civilian rule, but a matter of loss and lack of proper structured approach on the part of the government.
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