We are not afraid of CIOTAN status – Paul Ndibe

There have been fears in some quarters over the assent establishing CIOTAN being a threat to the bill of CILT awaiting assent at the presidency.

The National Executive Director of CILT Nigeria, Mr. Paul Ndibe dismissed the fear in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, recently.

Ndibe said that the two bodies have different object clauses in the bill or Act establishing each of them even as he added that the economy was large enough to accommodate even more professional bodies to control, regulate and manage the sector.

He said,” By answering this question, I want to look at Nigerian economy as it is. Logistics transport and supply chain is of wide range and so much of activity is going on in the sector.

“I am looking beyond two professional bodies trying to manage the entire activity in this sector. If you look at the management sector, there is Nigerian Institute of Management, there is Chartered Institute of Personnel Management; one is essentially looking at personnel management structure, the other one is looking at the entire sector. So, also you have the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, you have also Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, both of them also trying to contribute to the growth of the economy.

“So, the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration centres more on transport administration. So, they are to define what that meant, there is no aspect of logistics there but the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics has been in existence and is taking issues on transport and logistics and there is no way you can actually deal with logistics without transportation because transportation is an arm of logistics.

“I don’t see it as a threat, one on the basis of the object clause of their institute – Chartered Institute of Transport Administration. It is distinct from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. On the other level being whether it constitutes a threat to CILT, look at the size of the economy, we have not even started. So, my expectation is that let the two professional bodies go to the industry and start doing what their individual bills or Acts have defined for them to do. Even at that, you will still find openings and other groups will come up trying to manage, regulate or control that sector.

“So, saying that one professional body will be enough for the enormous population and the economy, I think we would be shooting ourselves on the leg. So, my advice is, they have regulation, they have bye laws, let them go to the industry and execute what their object clause said and let us see how the economy shapes. So, if it is negative, it will reveal itself, if it is positive, the nation will take the benefit but not taking an action will not be nice.”

On insinuations that the news of the Presidential assent to CIOTAN bill rattled the CILT leadership forcing it to convey emergency meeting in that regard, he said, “Our concern didn’t start on account of the news of the assent to IOTA bill but the Council had to also call emergency meeting on that new development just to make a formal announcement and also to look into how members concern can be addressed and how we can further strengthen our communication with the authority on the state of the CILT bill.

“So, one expects also that it is in that process, if there was any issue on the CILT bill, one would expect that there should be a similar issue on the IOTA bill even though they are concentrating on transport administration but if there is no issue with IOTA bill, it presupposes that there is not going to be issue with CILT bill. So, based on this assumption, one would expect therefore that it might be about sorting of papers with the presidency that may delay or have impact on CILT bill.”

Ndibe also disclosed that contrary to popular belief, the 8th National Assembly passed the CILT bill and transmitted same to the President since 18th of July, 2018 while work on IOTA bill was concluded around May this year and was transmitted to the Presidency and the President assented to the bill.

“So, it is not that we just started expressing worry, we started expressing concern about the time the 8th National Assembly was to wind up, it was about the time we started expressing deep concern since the bill was not returned, it has not been assented to and the 8th Assembly was about winding down. So, it gives room for concern. That concern has been there, it is not just because of the assent given to IOTA bill. And from what we learnt, the work on IOTA bill was concluded around May this year and was transmitted to the Presidency and the President assented to the bill.

“So, it is a matter of what the President wants to do in respect to so many bills before him but then one expects that the one that will give a wider impetus and contribution to the economy would have been his first choice. But that did not happen, so, we are still also enthusiastic and trying to ask question concerning the delays”, he added.