2021 Reform Agenda: Stakeholders Canvass Merger of Maritime Agencies into National Maritime Commission
By Francis UgwokeAs the year 2021 comes on board with a lot of uncertainties in terms of economic realities, fortunes and misfortunes, industry stakeholders are of the view that the federal government should put on a thinking cap on how to achieve desired value, efficiency in operations and also eliminate wastages in the maritime sector.
Industry stakeholders believe that considering the place of the maritime sector adjudged as the second to oil in terms of contributions to the national economy at such a critical time of dwindling oil revenue in addition to coronavirus pandemic, government must think outside the box and in line with global best practices as far as the nation’s maritime industry is concerned.
Stakeholders who spoke to SHIPPING DAY said the first step is for government to consider to do away with political interests and engage core professionals who will create “requisite employment opportunities, boost revenue and save meaningful costs”.
Maritime expert and former President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Eugene Nweke opined that having all the maritime agencies under one agency of the Ministry of Transportation will save a lot of wastages, unnecessary and over bloated contracts.
Nweke said that in so doing, government can establish an independent National Maritime Commission to reorganise the industry facets/strata and have in place Commissioners.
He said, “If the government really desires to develop our maritime industry for even national interests, the best bet is to collapse the agencies under ministry of transportation, establish an independent National Maritime Commission, reorganize the industry facets/strata and set forth Commissioners , and then designate each agencies under a specific Commissioner”.
Nweke said this obtains in the United States which has 360 commercial ports.
He said that the 360 commercial ports are overseen by the Federal Commission:
America, adding that 99 of the ports are globally ranked ports as at 2013 and more than 70 unranked ports.
Apart from US, this also obtains in Britain, China, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, among others.
On the number Of Merchant Ships flying American State Flag, he quoted
the 2005 CIA World Fact Book which revealed that the total number of merchants ships of at least 1000 gross register tons in the world was 30,936 in 2010.
This was 38,988, as at December 2018, an Increase of 26%, adding that .
one quarter of all merchant mariners were born in the Philippines.
On the budgetary appropriations, he said the yearly authorization of appropriations to the Federal Maritime Commission in 2018 & 2019 were $28,012,310:00 and $28,544,543:00 respectively. It was $24,700,000:00 for each year in 2016 & 2017.
He argued, “From the above statistics, first check the number of national shipping flag (fleets) and its activities, then note the number of ranked and unranked Ports in our country. Equally, please cross-check the amount being appropriated yearly to each of the agencies under the Ministry Of Transport and reconcile it with the Federal Maritime Commission, then I leave you to your amazement.
The bane of our maritime industry fortunes is the political interests other than national interest, If national interest is paramount, I strongly think that an independent National Maritime Commission (NMC) as obtains in the America”.
Other industry stakeholders who spoke to SHIPPING DAY agreed that collapsing the maritime agencies under the National Maritime Commission (NMC) could be an advancement to maritime reform in the country.
Like Nweke argued it will save a lot of costs as it will address issues of overlapping statutory functions among the agencies.
Maritime lawyer, Mr Kessington Ojei who spoke on the issue said as good as this idea could be, it cannot see the light of the day in Nigeria for lack of political will.
Besides, he argued that those already enjoying the system would resist it with the fear that there could job losses among the entire workforce.
Ojei referred to the merger of the of the old National Maritime Authority (NMA) and the Joint Maritime Industrial Labour (JOMALIC) which is now Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), adding that as much as it is being enjoyed now, it was resisted by the labour union because of the few number of staff that lost their jobs in the process.
But he added that if well handled, the FMC when created does not have to lead to loss of jobs, as Departments will be created under commissioners who will be answerable to Chief Operating Officer of the Commission .
However, Nweke disagreed that there will not be any job losses as he argues that the metamorphosis into an independent Commission entails that all the agencies under Ministry of Transport will become specialized areas/technical departments /units, etc under the commission. He added, “First, the overall goal, which is an enduring and effective maritime industry that will engender massive job creation should be the priority and not condoning the present status quo of Industry underdevelopment. “The metamorphosis into an independent Commission entails that all the agencies under ministry of transport will become specialized areas/technical departments /units, etc under the commissson. The restructuring and reorganization process is more of making unproductive departments/units into what fits as compartmentalization. “It will serve as a vista towards creating more specialized skills. Sure appointments based on mere political patronages will give way for new skilled and technical personnel. “In all no job will be lost, because what is lost is also a refill by specialized skilled personnel”..
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