National Assembly Holds Public Hearing on CIOTA Bill in March

By ZION Olalekan |

There are indications that the public hearing on the Bill to charter the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration would be coming up for hearing at the National Assembly in Abuja by March this year

Newly inaugurated President of the institute, Dr. Bashir Jamoh revealed this in Lagos last week at an investiture held for the new executives.

He said that already, the institute is already affiliated with a chartered institute in the United Kingdom.

Jamoh appealed to all maritime sector stakeholders to make themselves available for meaningful contributions that would ensure easy passage of the Bill.

Already, he said that the Bill has passed second reading at the national assembly.

Speaking, he said “As of today, the Bill for chattering this institute is before the national assembly and it has already passed the second reading. We intend before the end of March 2019, we would be ready to go for public hearing, you are all invited to come and add your weight for the successful passage of the bill during the public hearing.

“We are faced with problems which include the chattering of this institute, it is going to be very difficult to continue receiving acceptance from the teeming public and government as well if we are not chattered”, he said.

Jamoh also revealed plans to engage the students of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as part of solutions to the traffic gridlock at Apapa port.

Jamoh revealed that the institute would also collaborate with other government agencies like Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and traffic warders to train the NYSC students and introduce them to ways of reducing the incessant traffic in Apapa.

Apart from the NYSC, Jamoh said the institute will also collaborate with other bodies like Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NSC) Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS) Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS) to ensure it achieves desired results.

Speaking further, he said “To invigorate this institute, we intend to employ the services of NYSC with collaboration of other government function like road safety and traffic warders to train them and introduce ways to reduce the incessant traffic in Apapa.

“The institute will work with relevant committees of the federal government, legislatures to put in place the enabling legislation or raise input on amendment or appeal at the case maybe in order to provide an enabling environment for transport practitioners to thrive.

“We are categorising our plans into short, medium and long term plans. With the short term plan, we intend to use volunteer services, particularly with the use of corps members to ensure that we alleviate the sufferings of Apapa area.

“In the medium term, we would submit our position paper to work along with the government to find a lasting solution through the use of multimodal transportation system, especially the railway”.