APC Primaries Slow Down Maritime Activities

Ahead of 2019 general elections, fresh indications emerged yesterday that the primary elections conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country have slowed down the activities of the Nigerian maritime industry, as key parastatals in the sector are headed by politicians.
This is contained in a statement made available to The Tide by the President of Masters Mariners Association, Captain Tajudeen Aloa, who lamented that the maritime sector has been stand-still in recent times due to the primary elections by the various political parties.
Aloa decried the loss in maritime industry, saying such is not good for the maritime sector where key positions are being occupied by politicians.
Captain Aloa also advised that stoppage of waivers to oil companies should be carried out in phases, saying that Nigerians do not own new ships and even the financial wherewithal to acquire new ships
“It is going to be very difficult because, ten years ago, we said it that vessels below 500 tons should be operated by Nigerians, but they now reduced it to 250 tons”, Aloa said.
He continued, “we don’t have money we don’t have any new ship around, to raise money in Nigeria is very expensive costing you money to maintain.”
On appointment of persons into strategic positions, Aloa said, politicians will come and go, but government needs to pick from among the practitioners, especially those who have to put in 30-50 years in shipping business.
According him, “at this period the political parties are having primary elections, nothing has been achieved, there is no leadership, their concentration is on being relevant political.”
He said that the Master Mariners Association under his watch was strategising and making plans to sanitise the industry and rid it of quacks who masquerade as captain and mariners.
Capt Aloa called on the Federal Government to establish a National Shipping Company and sell it to Nigerians who understand the shipping business.
On lack of sea time experience to cadet, Aloa said it would be difficult for oil tankers to offer sea time experience to cadets because they were not built with more rooms.

Chinedu Wosu