Oluyinka Onigbinde
A ship-owner and member of the Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA); Prince Ayorinde Adedoyin has explained why some shipowners do not support the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent recently, Adedoyin who is also the chairman Peacegate Group, informed that many indigenous ship owners are out of business and that many of their ships are lying idle.
He said considering the few vessels operating, the NSDP is practically a waste of time while urging the government to be more concerned about getting work for indigenous ship owners, who he said majority of them are in debt.
According to him, “how many ships are still there working? The majority of the vessels are there in Marina (Lagos waters); the ships don’t have work. You can only train people when you are working and the vessels are selling.
“Considering how many vessels have work to do and the number of people you want to train, then it is practically like a waste of time. I think the Government should be more concerned about getting work for the vessels because the majority of these people are in debt. We bring in vessels based on contract and the contract is terminated without cause and the government is there looking.
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He lamented further that, “the ships don’t have work. You can only train people when you are working and the vessels are sailing. I think the Government should be more concerned about getting work for the vessels because the majority of these people are in debt. We bring in vessels based on contract and the contract is terminated without cause and the government is there looking. We write letters to the likes of NAPIMS and they can’t do anything”.
“Who is deceiving who? Am I going to train people in my dreams? When I have vessels that are not working and I still have to maintain it, keep running the engine and keep the staff on board. A lot of Nigerian ship owners have run into debts and I mean big ones. So I really don’t understand how you can support me. I am sorry; you cannot give what you don’t have” he said.
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