INTERVIEW
Barrister Osuala Nwagbara is a maritime lawyer and also the secretary, planning committee of the 2015 NIMAREX. He spoke with our correspondent Roland Ekama on the latest issues surrounding the annual exhibition and reasons behind the recent postponement of the 2015 event. He also shed light on some burning issues.
What informed the postponement of the NIMAREX 2015?
INTERVIEW
Barrister Osuala Nwagbara is a maritime lawyer and also the secretary, planning committee of the 2015 NIMAREX. He spoke with our correspondent Roland Ekama on the latest issues surrounding the annual exhibition and reasons behind the recent postponement of the 2015 event. He also shed light on some burning issues.
What informed the postponement of the NIMAREX 2015?
At the last meeting of the planning committee of NIMAREX 2015, stakeholders considered a lot of issues on ground and decided that another postponement will make for a better NIMAREX event, which formerly was to hold in April, but which has now been scheduled to July 6 to 8th 2015. We have planned it earlier to hold in March but because of the change in the general elections timetable, we further extended it to April and as a result of the rerun in some states and NIMAREX cannot be totally dissociated from politics, we felt that there is need to shift the event again for the second time. NIMAREX has stakeholders in power right now and also has stakeholders in the incoming administration too. Therefore people going out of government and those coming in as well all have a stake at the forthcoming NIMAREX event and they are also all interested in the outcome of the reruns that held on the 25th of April 2015 and again stakeholders from the maritime sector are also interested in that same outcome of the election. In fact there are lots of jostling to conclude everything about the general elections in Nigeria and as a result we decided that it will be better organised after all elections must have been concluded. We want the out-going and in-coming government to play a key role, in one way or the order for a better hosting of the 2015 edition of the maritime expo. It is still going to hold at the Eko hotel and Suite in Victoria Island and we expect that it will be a fuller house with government officials who are playing key role in the maritime sector to be in attendance, even those that are coming into the industry also need to be in attendance. I can tell you, this is the situation right now.
How prepared financially is NIMAREX 2015?
As we speak, stakeholders are taking up booths and also paying for those spaces, which I will say is normal in every event of such magnitude like NIMAREX. Some foreign companies have paid to attend the event but of course you know that NIMAREX cannot do without the key stakeholders in government and like I have earlier explained here, that whether we like it or not , the government of the day has shown keen interest in NIMAREX likewise the incoming government , ministers are preparing their handover notes; even ministers in government are expected to feature in the exhibition because they are going to present papers at NIMAREX 2015 and that will tell you how serious this year's event will be. I meant to say that if this government has not been voted out of power, then you will expect that some of the ministers might be thinking that they will be in office for some time despite cabinet reshuffle but the truth is everybody is preparing their handover note now and truly we don't know who will be re-appointed or appointed, because there is no time on the part of the government officials who are going to feature in the 2015 exhibition and that is why we say that it will make good business sense to shift NIMAREX 2015, not because of finance, but participation is key. Participation is actually more important than money and as far as finance is concerned, we don't have problem with that. The private sectors are there, all the booths have been earmarked, some of the entrepreneurs that are billed to present papers and participate in the event are all ready.
Tell us about the response of foreigners towards the postponement of NIMAREX 2015?
We have a cancellation policy in NIMAREX and that policy is an integral part of event planning globally, where you provide plans or prepare for any eventualities, just like the one we have at hand. And in our cancellation policy, we are prepared to roll over the money that they have paid for the event; so long the postponement is not cancellation or unduly too long. It’s all about any company that has paid will just have to adjust, thus it’s all about business.
How are we sure that the new government will love to participate in the event?
Even from the manifestos, it is obvious that all the big political parties that campaigned in the last general elections, recognised the importance of the maritime sector in Nigeria and they also pledged to Nigerians that if given the opportunity to serve, they will support the growth of the maritime industry, we all know the maritime sector is very rich, no government can afford to ignore the maritime sector, because maritime sector is the base for both economy and military strength; therefore, the sector is very important to the government and no government will like to toy with the maritime sector, talk less to ignore it; particularly in this trying period when you have downturn in the pricing of oil in international market. The maritime sector is richer than the oil sector in terms of potentials for revenue generation in this country. The incoming government showed interest for the sector at the level of their campaign, they will there come July 6th to 8th and above all, they have interest in NIMAREX 2015. The postponement is equally in their favour to adjourn and get prepared for the event.
If you are to advice the incoming administration on who to appoint as minister of transport, who will that be?
For us to have a viable maritime industry in Nigeria then we need the services of operators to lead the ministry of transport, in fact we need operators to man all the agencies of government under the maritime sector, because it is about development of the sector, it is about business. I will also advice the government that it should not be an appointment based on political loyalty rather appointment of the minister of transport should be based on track record , performance, knowledge and indepth understanding of the sector. In fact, I will even advocate that there is need for the incoming government to create a ministry of maritime services in Nigeria or if you like call it ministry of maritime transport; to be carved out of ministry of transport. The ministry of transport can take care of rail and land. But I want to state that ministry of maritime affair or that of maritime services is needed in this country because of the huge potentials it has. It will be out of place for me to mention names to be appointment as transport minister but there are quite a number of competent Nigerians that can man the ministry and when I mean operators from here, it does mean that such a person should be a ship operator alone , or service provider, it does not have to be maritime lawyer alone, it must not be an arbitrator from the sector, but indeed must be a player in the maritime industry who is engaged in activities that are seriously connected with the practice of the maritime sector.
NISA is in crisis at the moment and don't you think the crisis will affect NIMAREX 2015 as regard turn out of participants ?
When stakeholders talk about NIMAREX and they talk about NISA , they tend to create the impression that there is problem between both parties; but I can say here that there is no such problem that exist. Don't forget that most of the members of the planning committee of NIMAREX are representatives of organisations and companies in NISA. Fine, there is some political disagreement among members of NISA but it is not everybody that is in NIMAREX committee that happens to be a member of NISA, it is not everyone in the maritime sector that is a member of NISA , yet all of these people come together to host NIMAREX . However if you are looking at NIMAREX as an idea conceived by NISA then you are right to say that it is a baby of NISA but when you look at how far NIMAREX has developed through the attraction it has made to stakeholders, government parastatals and industry practitioners who are not members of NISA, then you should begin to see whatever disagreement NISA members have among themselves as having a very little impact on the success of NIMAREX 2015. Like I said before, even if NISA as a body of persons decides that they are not going to participate in NIMAREX 2015, members of NISA who are stakeholders in NIMAREX will participate, thus it is not about the body only rather it’s about participation of players from the maritime industry. I don't want to go into the politics of NISA and I don't want to be involved in whether they are some level of disagreement or not in that association because I am not a member but I know that even at the planning committee of NIMAREX, there is no misunderstanding among them. Whatever happens in NISA has little effect on NIMAREX because all the stakeholders in the industry are represented and we are working with one mind, one vision, one hope and we are working together, we are happy about it and above all we are making progress.
What is your expectation about those in the maritime industry who have won in election in one capacity or the other?
All of the stakeholders from the maritime sector that have won positions in this new dispensation are people who I believe have the interest of the sector at heart. I see the Nigeria maritime environment jumping many times over in the right direction, I see lots of activities in the maritime industry in Nigeria under the new dispensation thriving. I foresee changes in maritime laws and policies thus it is something to look forward to because those that won in their respective offices can easily talk more about the industry and the need to solve the many problems of the sector.
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