The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) branch of Senior Staff Association of Communication Transportation and Corporation (SSACTAC) has said that the Nigerian Ports Authority and not the Nigerian Shippers’ Council should transmute into the National Transport Commission (NTC)
Addressing journalists in Lagos recently, President of SSACTAC Maritime, Comrade Benson Adegbeyeni condemned recent calls by stakeholders and some lawmakers that the Shippers’ Council stands a better chance to be the Transport Commission.
In his argument, he stressed that the Shippers’ Council and even the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) should be an agencies under the NPA for the Nigeria maritime industry to function effectively.
He stressed that all other agencies operating at the ports are all tenants to the NPA and it would be wrong for the lawmakers to make Shippers Council to become regulator over NPA.
"Can you ask your tenant to regulate your house rent on your house for you? It is unfortunate"
"Who owns the land? It is NPA. The Shippers Council, the Customs Service, Immigration and all others are tenants to the Nigerian Ports Authority. The Shippers Council and even NIMASA should be agencies under the Nigerian ports authority for Nigeria to function effectively"
"What you don't have you cannot give it out, they don't have the water, it is the NPA that has the water, how do you expect a slave to have power more than your son? It is unfortunate", he lamented
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the NTC bill was passed last month by the House of Representatives to establish an independent multi-modal transport sector regulator.
The bill now with the Senate for concurrence is expected to produce an Act conferring on the Shippers’ Council the status of the NTC, transferring its staff, assets, ownership of land and other properties to the new regulatory body.
The Act will also cede the present rights, debts, liabilities, obligations, functions and powers currently vested in the NSC to the NTC. Essentially, the main thrust of the bill is to provide efficient economic regulatory framework for the transport sector, mechanism for monitoring compliance of government agencies, transport services providers and users in the regulated transport industry with relevant legislation and advise government on matters relating to economic regulation of the transport industry.
