Fresh indications have emerged that President Goodluck Jonathan may have indicated interest in collaborating with the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) in government’s efforts to resuscitate the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL)
This is coming six months after the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi pledged that the nation's fleets will be restored under six months.
Fresh indications have emerged that President Goodluck Jonathan may have indicated interest in collaborating with the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) in government’s efforts to resuscitate the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL)
This is coming six months after the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi pledged that the nation's fleets will be restored under six months.
Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday, former Chairman of NISA; Chief Isaac Jolapamo confirmed that President Goodluck Jonathan has directed his three ministers from ministries of petroleum, finance and transport, to ensure that NISA is given a considerate proportion of the equity of the new national carrier.
Jolapamo also stated that the Federal Government has equally ordered the Federal Executive Council to revisit suggestions made by NISA at the presidential retreat held in Abuja last year.
He said, "I can openly say that I have a confirmation that the President has called for the Minister of Finance, Minister of Petroleum and Minister of Transport to look into our recommendations during the presidential retreat that was set up".
"They have also been mandated to look into the national carrier and give Nigerian shipowners a better place and a better proportion in what the government is trying to do" he said.
Chief Jolapamo confirmed further that the President have equally asked NISA to bring up a proposal on why Nigerian ship owners are taking their vessels to Cotonou and Lome ports instead of the staying on Lagos waters.
He also said that NISA, "has been asked to push our case forward on issues of bunkering, even though we recommended that it should start, but when the paperwork was being done, our inputs were not taken, but now they want our inputs"
"There is no need for shipowners to fight themselves, it is because we have been fighting ourselves that these opportunities have been eluding us" he said
He said that NISA under his watch as chairman, has grown from a three-man association into 160 members.
He alleged that certain forces, both internal and external, have contributed to the total collapse of the NNSL and that all attempts to re-float it in the past by notable Nigerians had equally been frustrated.
"Time it was when the Nigerian flag was flown all over the world by Nigerian owned vessels, carrying Nigerian cargoes and crewed by the finest Nigerian seafarers, we even built a shipyard designed to repair our ships and ultimately build ships in Nigeria"
"Such a meteoric rise was un-sustainable as forces both internal and external ensured the near total collapse of this economically and strategically vital sector of our sovereign economy".
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