SOAN confused, lacks courage to pressure NIMASA for disbursement of CVFF—Observers
Stakeholders in the nation’s shipping industry have decried the high level of sycophancy being displaced by the leadership of Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) following the congratulatory message it sent to Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) over his charimanship of African Maritime body.
Peterside was recently announced as the Chairman of the Association of Heads of African Maritime Administrations (AAMA) at the recently ended international summit hosted by the agency in Abuja.
Some maritime experts who bared their minds on SOAN’s congratulatory message signed by the President of the association, Engineer Greg Ogbeifun, on Dakuku’s election as Chairman of AAMA at its 3rd conference, faulted Ogbeifun for all of a sudden dumping his hard position of worrying NIMASA to disburse Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) and other Maritime Fund statutorily meant for indigenous shippers and turned to political overtures by congratulating who is frustrating his progress.
Stakeholders in the maritime sector had argued that NIMASA’s official inability to disburse CVFF remains the main reason behind death of coastal trading and collapse of indigenous shipping growth which by the Act establishing NIMASA, is the key role of the agency in the first instance.
According to a clearing agent who pleaded anonymity, “For SOAN President to openly say that since he assumed office, he has shown dexterity in ensuring a virile Nigerian maritime sector that can compete favourably in the comity of maritime nations, is the height of sycophancy when I remember how he has been fighting for the CVFF facility for SOAN members”.
He challenged SOAN boss to show stakeholders, the virility of Nigerian maritime sector in competing favourably in the comity of nations when CVFF and Maritime Fund have not been disbursed to shippers to grow the sector in Nigeria.
A statement issued by NIMASA on Thursday, and sent to Business Hilights quoted Ogbeifun as telling Peterside that “Your election did not come to us as a surprise, but a proof of your worth in the business of rejuvenating the maritime sector for optimum growth and prosperity of the Nigerian economy, anchored on efficient and profitable management of men and other resources”.
Many of the shipping stakeholders who spoke to our correspondents decried what they described as the application of the worst political tactics and height of sycophancy in seeking what is statutorily yours from a government agency.
