The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has argued that the project of ship acquisition should be left in the hands of private investors.
The Vice President of MAN, Mr. John Aluya who said this in a chat with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos, recalled that the government has tried that in the past and it went down the drain.
He however reiterated that the project will also go down the drain if government tried involving itself again in the business.
Aluya also disclosed that all over the world, there is a serious campaign for private sector investment.
He said: "We have acquired ships in the past and it went down the drain. Today all over the world there is a campaign for private sector investment"
"So I will not support the government to go and acquire ships and it will go down again, I will not support that"
Also speaking on the committee set up for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Find (CVFF), he urged the government to do the proper thing.
"There have been too many controversies over the CVFF, I don't really know. Some people said the money is there will others said the money is not there"
Aluya said that MAN as an association frowned at doing things illegally even as he added that the beneficiaries know their right and the best thing to do.
"Now that the money is there and it is going to be disbursed to the indigenous ship owners, I think the proper thing should be done. If the proper thing is getting a committee to review the process that is fine"
"You see one of the best things that man frown against is doing things illegally the once things are done legally it is fine. The beneficiaries know their right they should be able to say yes we agree or not", he concluded.
