Mr Fred Akokia (Legal Practitioner)
Like the saying goes in Nigeria, we must know where we are coming from, therefore these individuals should know that they have been parts and parcel of the maritime industry, they should know the short- comings of the sector and the areas they want the government to beam searchlights on. For instance, if you are in the transport and maritime industry, you see what is happening at the ports, if there are things you have discovered either due to legislation or any other reason is not moving well, when you go there as either a Senator or a House of Reps member, Governor or even in the President, these are the policies you now push in order to favour your base, because the maritime sector is your base and you must ensure to make it a better place. For example, if we can have a multi modal transport system in Nigeria of course the rail will work, the air transportation, road transportation and so on will be so synergized and the transportation system becomes something better for everybody. The roads leading to the ports are so bad right now and this is where most of our wealth is coming from, if you are a stakeholder in the maritime or transport sector and you are now in politics, all you have to do is bring out policies that will make that sector a better place, it’s not just to go there and make money, but to go there and make the base where you are coming from a better place.
Tunde Ayodele (Maritime journalist)
I appreciate the fact that the maritime industry has raised people to play politics in the country, people like Dr Dosunmu who was director general of NIMASA and a number of others, Dosunmu is vying for governorship and he has won the ticket for PDP in Lagos state. Notwithstanding, let us now view what they did when they were in position in the maritime industry, what was the contribution of Dosunmu for example to the maritime industry? So, the stakeholders going into politics should go back and look at their failure when they were in the maritime environment, after they have observed their failures, then they should appraise themselves and try to work on it, if eventually they emerge as the governor, senator or as the case maybe.
Sampson Chima (Registrar, NIS)
It is a good thing that this is happening because we have been looking towards this kind of developments. My joy is that our people are now taking over to become the policy makers and law makers; formerly you will see people going there and heading marine committees without having any knowledge or experience about maritime, they just make policies for us and we follow them, but today I am happy that practitioners that have served the industry and knows what the industry needs are now going there. By the time they get there, you will see that issue concerning the maritime environment will be well addressed, thank God that they were part of the people that have been crying to government in those days that things should be done right, but today they will be the government of the day and I believe that this industry will benefit from it. My advice therefore is that they should go ahead and occupy these positions.
Mr. Emmanuel Tobi (Licensed customs agent)
It is a welcomed development, these men have already gained experience from the politics of ANLCA, and I believe that politics of ANLCA and the country’s politics are all the same thing, so they are going there to share what they experienced from us. If they want to serve their country, I don’t think there is anything bad in that, they want to serve their local government, their state and the country as a whole, when they were with us in the industry, they contributed to the sector through their experience to develop the sector, they will now use this experience to assist us when we have things to pursue. It should make things easier for us since they are our former colleagues.
Celestine Okafor (Clearing agent)
There is nothing wrong if maritime stakeholders go ahead to play a role in politics, the way the sector is right now, I think this is what we need in order to do it right ourselves. As the saying goes that if you want something to be done right, then you have to do it yourself, it’s a good thing. But my advice to them is that they should not forget where they are coming from, because when many of them gets to position now, they become scarce and they just begin to travel from one country to another without genuine concern for the people they left behind, in whatever position they may end up, my advice to them is to always ensure that they use their position to help the maritime sector.
Comrade Aleakhue John [Asst.Sec Gen.Merchant Navy]
When they say, let a professional or let a seaman be at the helms of affair of NIMASA what they are saying is that they want their interests to be protected. If maritime stakeholders are in Government, they will be able to tackle those maritime bills that people look at it as a big deal. Of course, we know that the bills not different from other bills; they are meant for the progress of the sector and this country. This is time to be involved in politics so our sector will be remembered by them ,it is not you telling somebody to do it for you, rather it should be done by you .If Ade Dosunmu happens to be the governor of this state, we can expect a revitalization of the waterways. In Nigeria of today, if you are not there, you are never there. It will be very favourably if we have our people in politics.
Comrade Victor Eyibio [Dockworker]
Ambition is not a crime, but my honest advice to the maritime stakeholders who are contesting for political positions in the country is that they should remember the average Nigerian and they should consider the wake -up call by the citizens of the country. As stakeholders in the maritime sector, they should listen to the voice of the dockworkers and other interest groups in the maritime sector.
Mr.Ifeanyi Chikezie [Auto Dealer]
As a maritime stakeholder who is going into politics, look well before you leap, let it not look like a jamboree because at the end of the day if it a jamboree you end up losing on all fronts. Any stakeholder in the sector who wishes to contest should give the sector a total boost because such person knows the in and out of the sector, so my advice is that he should be able to remember where he is coming from before getting to that height or position. But, surely, if a stakeholder emerges victorious, he or she will add value to the sector.
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