Ship Owner berates Dakuku over dwindling fortunes of shipping in Nigeria

Zion Olalekan

An enraged indigenous Ship Owner, Otunba Sola Olatunji has condemned the leadership of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) over failure to carry out the necessary policies that would advance the course of indigenous ship owners and shipping development in Nigeria.

The ship operator lamented that the NIMASA boss laid more emphasis on revenue generation over its core regulatory roles and shipping development even as he added that the DG had failed to protect the interest of indigenous operators.

Olatunji, a member of Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA) and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Victory Energy Resources Limited, lamented that the Dakuku administration focused more on glitz and glamour, while relegating core shipping activities to the background.

Olatunji who spoke with newsmen in a chat, maintained that the cabotage law had been abandoned for years and that the agency under Dakuku has directed its attention to foreign ship owners at the expense of the local operators.

He said, “Dakuku Peterside Administration is a total failure. Rather than focus on the promotion of indigenous shipping and trading, he focuses on generation of fund, revenue etc.

“He turned blind eyes to the economic catalyst promotion of indigenous shipping that the sector would have provided therefore, Dakuku is a total failure.

While assessing the Director General performance in the last two and half years in office, the ship operator stressed that the Dakuku administration has failed to address core marine operations in line with international best practice.

Highlighting some other ills in shipping, he called on the government to address operational activities in Lome waters, saying neighbouring countries have hijacked jobs meant for indigenous operators.

Olatunji noted that: “Cabotage law has since been abandoned. NIMASA, NNPC and other government institutions that are expected to encourage the local operators have since abandoned them for foreign ship owners, yet they talk about patriotism, unemployment, capital flight, piracy etc.

“Until we continue to promote our local economy, by thrusting sector by sector into the hands of our citizens as the case around the world, we can never get it right.

“Countries around the world including those promoting globalisation one way or the other put certain restrictions to protect the interest of their citizens.

“That was the intention of Cabotage law which came into effect more than 15 years ago but institutions that are supposed to ensure the implementation of this monumental law have since sabotaged it for their selfish interest.”

Speaking on the way forward; the ship owners said “Law is law: Cabotage law must be implemented fully without further delay.

“Nigerian bound cargo from Europe or other parts of the world should come to offshore Lagos for STS and not off shore Lome.

“The last time I checked, Lome is not an oil producing Country. Why should all the logistics that should have been serious business for Nigerians be in the hands of the Togolese?

He quipped, “Have we checked the monumental capital flight associated with this ignoble situation?”

Recall that the NISA, through the Lagos Coordinator, Captain Franklin Taiwo Akinpelumi had lamented that 85% of members have abandoned shipping business in Nigeria due to government flip flop policies.