A maritime sector non- government organisation; the maritime Industry Advocacy Initiative (MAIN) has faulted the composition of the ministerial committee on audit of port concession, saying that the minister may have been misled into choosing its chairman, Mr Chidi Ilogu.
In a statement issued in Lagos last week and signed by MAIN’s executive director, Mr Sesan Onileimo, the group called on the minister of transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman to urgently reconstitute the audit committee.
However, commending the decision to review the four year-old port concession, the group which comprises of major stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry called for caution.
“Last week’s constitution of a committee to audit the four-year old port concession is a welcome development. Even though coming a bit late, it is in line with the yearnings of majority of stakeholders; be they suppliers or users of shipping services. It is certainly, a step that all well-meaning stakeholders should commend”.
Although the group also argued in favour of concession programme, it said that approaching the review wrongly will negate the good intention of the minister.
“The port concession programme, even though severely opposed by a cross-section of stakeholders when the idea was first mooted, is a success to the extent that it has largely positively impacted on cargo throughput, ships’ turn- around- time, reduced human traffic, enhanced safety of cargo”.
“We are conscious of the lamentations of importers and freight forwarders over rising cost of doing business in the nation’s seaport on account of port concessioning and we quite commend the minister for setting up an earlier committee on port charges. No doubt, the minister’s actions are demonstrations of a clear agenda on engendering a more user-friendly port and we associate with that.”
“We are however worried about the composition of the committee on review (or audit) of port concession and we are duty-bound as an industry-based non governmental organisation to call the attention of the minister of transport to the fact that his noble intention may be derailed by the composition of the committee; especially, the position of the committee’s chairman, Mr Chidi Ilogu”, the statement added.
Going further, it stated that:”It is our humble opinion that the appointment of Mr Ilogu, who is (no doubt) an accomplished maritime lawyer to head that committee is a disservice to the maritime industry and one that may adversely the outcome of the committee’s assignment. The mistake may not have been deliberate, but failure to correct it is portends credibility problems for both the committee and the outcome of is report. We are not in anyway insinuating that Mr Ilogu is not competent to preside over the committee; far from that, we are also not disparaging his person. We are only worried that previous and/or current engagements of the lawyer may affect his neutrality as the chairman and also on the credibility of a committee that is saddled with the responsibility of auditing port concession.”
“We are strongly of the opinion that the mere fact that Mr Ilogu had once openly represented the Seaports and Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria is even enough reason for him to have honourably rejected the current assignment. He is undoubtedly an interested party having represented the Terminal operators’ body at the House of Representatives public hearing on the Port and Harbour Bill in 2009. Except and unless he is not the same person, otherwise, the honest and most honourable part is for Mr Ilogu to declare his interests and allow the minister to appoint someone else”, it added.
Will Mr Ilogu be neutral when appraising the post-concession relationship between NPA and the Terminal operators or the ever frosty relationship between the terminal operators and freight forwarders? The answer is quite obvious.
The maritime industry is replete with eminent personalities and professionals who can perform the role that Mr Ilogu is expected to perform as chair of the port concession review committee”.
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