Feuding ship owners groups close ranks as Labinjo languishes in detention.

Segun Oladipupo |

The warring groups of the indigenous ship owners may have decided to set aside their differences by agreeing to come together to form a unified body.

This will culminate in the conduct of a unifying elections into the executive positions in the first quarter of next year.

This reunion is despite the continued detention of a factional president of the Nigeria Indigenous Ship owners Associations (NISA), Captain Dada Labinjo, who has been languishing in detection for about a year now.

The group added that the unity of members is paramount to the growth of maritime sector.

In a press parley jointly addressed by the three members of the steering committee, Mr. Paul Jegede, Captain Taiwo Akinpelumi and Mr. Tunji Brown, they said the two factions were now fully reconciled and reverted to one indivisible body.

Recall that the election that saw Captain Dada Labinjo emerged as president in 2014 was greeted with crisis leading to springing up of factions in the group even as some members started their own association.

The statement made availbale to our correspondent, stated that “The executive committee agreed that though they were for two years, but have served for four years in office and accordibg to thebassociation’s constitution, no executive can serve more than two terms in office.

“Hence, their two terms tenure expired since November 10, 2018 because they were sworn in on 11th November, 2014.

“It was unanimously agreed by members present that the Executive Committee should surrender the management of the association to a newly appointed steering committee.

“Consequently, the Executive surrendered the management of the association to the new steering committee.

Captain Dada Labinjo has been languishing in detention over alleged infractions but the group said it was set to elect new executives.

The members argued that they were at the forefront of the fight to secure his release, adding that they brought the case to the knowledge of Femi Falana, (SAN) who has been handling the case.

Speaking on the efforts of the association on securing their incarcerated President’ release, Captain Akinpelumi said, “When you don’t ask questions, you will never get answers. The fact that you said seafarers engaged the Navy for one of their own to be released is very incorrect.

“In fact, I will say NISA remains the arrow head to secure that release.because the association you referred to don’t even know what has happened, it was in our secretariat that the wife would always cone for an update.

“In fact, as at the time they were released, NISA was at the forefront , we were the people they called. I was the one that got across to the lawyer that secured their bail.

“So, if anybody tells you otherwise, it is incorrect. We have been very active bit of course when you are dealing with government, there is little you can do, if it has to do with infractions and all that

“We should not take away the fact that Captain Labinjo is a Naval officer and the Nigerian Navy will be at liberty to decide they want this as an internal affair. So, we have no control over that, that’s what I can say.”