New Ship Owners President to Fight for Disbursement of Cabotage Fund
The new President of Shipowners’ Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Dr, Mkgeorge Onyung, Tuesday said among his priority is to fight for the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessels Finance Fund (CVFF) to indigenous operators.
The fund which is a contribution by the indigenous shipowners have been withheld by the government for close to two decades .
The government had continued to promise to disburse the fund without doing so in what has negatively affected indigenous shipping companies that are supposed to benefit from the fund.
But Onyung in his post election speech said the association executive will meet with the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Federal Ministry of Transportation to discuss the disbursement of the fund.
He said it was important for the fund to be disbursed since it was created for ship owners.
According to him, “The CVFF is created for the benefit of indigenous shipowners and the fact that it had not been disbursed means something needs to be fine tuned.
“So, I will come back with my team to look at what are the possibilities and what is the real nagging problem so that we can address it for a win-win situation.”
“It is not my job to ensure CVFF is disbursed but I believe government is working on the disbursement but we will create a team that will address all issues that affect our members and the CVFF is one of them.”
The President said his association is also ready to support NIMASA in its five years waiver cessation plan in what is targeted at making cabotage work in Nigeria.
He also promised that his association will engage stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria becomes the hub in West and Central Africa sub-region.
“The task for the future is very enormous, I want to see a very smoother relationship with our stakeholders and regulators.
“The shipping industry to be moved to the next level and creating a formidable team that will engage stakeholders. l will work with them and engage them positively.”
The immediate president of SOAN, Engr, Greg Ogeifun, said it was worrisome tht the CVFF is yet to be disbursed to indigenous operators by the government, adding that this has affected them in competing with other international players.
According to Ogbeifun, “I think Nigerian maritime sector has grown tremendously and the Nigerian content act is working with NIMASA to give opportunities to Nigerians who want to be ship owners.
”The challenge still remains that the funds that is statutorily designed to help the acquisition of ships by Nigerians is still being locked up by NIMASA and the ministry of transport.
“That fund has to be released to be able to allow Nigerians acquire the ships and be able to take their rightful position, otherwise the opportunities for foreigners will continue to be there.”
Other members of the new executive include Eno Williams – 1st Vice President; Sonny Eja – 2nd Vice President; Babalola Adefarati – Financial Secretary/ Treasurer.
Others are Lucky Akhiwu (Chairman, Technical Com-mittee); Wisdom Nwagwu ( Chairman, Training and Capacity Building Committee; ) Dr Louis Ekere as Chairman, Ethics and Privileges Commi-ttee Iroghama Obuoforibo Chairman, Finance and Membership Committee.
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