STAKEHOLDERS COMMEND MARAN

By Fabian Anawo

Stakeholders in the Maritime sector have praised the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria, MARAN, for being concerned about the state of infrastructure in the nation’s sea ports.

They gave the commendation at a breakfast meeting organized by MARAN to find a solution to the bad quay apron at the Tincan Island port Lagos.

A former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Mr. Temisan Omatseye said it was thoughtful of MARAN to draw the attention of stakeholders to the challenge.

He urged the government to develop riverine ports as a solution to the deplorable state of infrastructure at the nation’s ports.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr. Emmanuel Jime was also full of praises for MARAN.

He said that the Breakfast meeting was revealing and opened his eyes to a lot of challenges that needed urgent attention and pledged to partner with MARAN for more incisive and enriching programmes.

Also, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko commended MARAN for the Breakfast meeting and ceased the opportunity to speak on the efforts of the Authority to address the issues.

He said that the NPA was already at verge of engaging investors who have the financial and technical expertise to fix the quay apron.

The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Eugene Nweke commended the boldness of MARAN to pick up such issue for discuss.

He said that the Breakfast meeting was a testament that MARAN is truly setting the agenda for Maritime discuss and urged them to maintain the momentum.

The President of Barge Operators of Nigeria, Mr. Olubinmi Olumekun said that by bringing stakeholders together, MARAN achieved what the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, could not achieve.

He alleged that on many occasions they demanded that NPA call a stakeholders meeting to resolve the many issues at stake but NPA could not.

According to him, part of the reason they wanted a stakeholders meeting was to resolve what he called ‘unacceptable’ tariff regime and alleged payment of fees in dollars.

The President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, Mr. Adewale Adeyanju also commended MARAN for being proactive.

He said that the Breakfast meeting was a testament that MARAN is truly a major stakeholder in the Maritime sector.

However, he challenged MARAN to beam it’s search light on ports outside Lagos to see the level of rots there, and charged them not to rest on their oars.