Council Seeks Speedy Disbursement Of Cabotage Fund

The Ports Consultative Council (PCC) on Tuesday called on the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to accelerate the processes of disbursing the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).

It’s Chairman, Chief Kunle Folarin, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, however, advised NIMASA to be cautious in disbursing the funds.

“For me, I cannot blame NIMASA for taking appropriate caution. You know what happened to the fund in the past.

“ They were disbursed and nearly 80 per cent of them did not refund the money. So, this is supposed to be a revolving fund. It is supposed to be there for the future.

“ I believe that NIMASA is trying to be taking caution but they cannot wait on forever. They should accelerate the processes but for taking caution and making sure that it goes to the right people, for the right uses and is monitored for execution, I think they have done the right thing.”

Folarin said that the infrastructure at Nigerian ports needed to be developed.

“What we have in Nigeria are obsolete. They are not in tune with the right situation all over the world. You are either building an industrial port or you are building a container-oriented port or a general cargo port.

“What we have is a mixed development in Nigeria. Is not that bad but then the infrastructure requirements of a mixed development port are huge. You got to do the roads; you have to build up security and also common user terminal has to develop.

“There is a long way to go. The present state of the port infrastructure is almost disgraceful, but I believe they are working on it now. Give them till the end 2013 and see how they come out of it.”

Folarin commended NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy for policing the nation’s waters, saying it was the trend all over the world.

He said that the incidence of piracy on Nigerian waters had reduced in the last few years.