By Stephen Ubanna
Akuta Pius Ukeyima, a Lawyer and Executive Director, Nigerian Shippers Council m, NSC,may have found Bashir Jamoh,OFR, Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, a role model in the nation’s maritime sector that he had paid him a working visit recently in his Apapa office recently to rub minds with him.
Jamoh, the NIMASA , Chief Executive Officer, CEO, who had seen the 2023, as a year of beginning s in the nation’s maritime industry with the creation of the ministry of Marine and Blue Economy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state and who had said that the industry operators would steer the sector greater heights in 2024, may have used the opportunity of the NSC Executive Secretary’s working visit to speak out on the role of the agency and how they can effectively work together to boost the nation’s maritime sector and raise to the level of other established maritime nations.
The NIMASA helmsman was said to have told Ukeyima, his NSC, counterpart, during the recent working visit to the agency that the role enabling Acts play in the performance and effectiveness of all agencies of government including the maritime agencies under the ministry of marine and Blue Economy cannot be overemphasized.
He was said to have used opportunity of the visit to open up on the progress that has been made by the National Assembly under the Leadership of Godswill Apabio, erstwhile governor of aAkwa Ibom state ‘’to enact a reviewed NIMASA Act. The NIMASA CEO, is optimistic that the NIMASA reviewed Act if finally passed into Law and accented to by the President for implementation will greatly enhance the performance of the agency.
He may have gladdened the heart of his NSC counterpart when he told told him that his visit ‘’is a welcome development and cooperation that is vital of the for the success of the nation’s Marine and Blue Economy ministry’’. Given an insider information he had said that the agency has made much progress in its effort to review the enabling Laws.
He noted that passage of the NIMASA Bill by the National Assembly will go a long way to enhance its performance as an agency. An elated Jamoh had told the NSC CEO, ‘’now that you have come board , ‘’it is worthy of note that the NSC Act was enacted through Decree 13 of 1978.He was said to have made him to understand that modern day reality may necessitate another look at the sister agency enabling Act.
Ukeyima, the NSC, boss who could not hide his feelings had commended the Jamoh led Management of NIMASA , for their achievements over the last three years , which he noted would spur the take-off of the Marine and Blue Economy sector. ‘’I must commend the NIMASA Management under the current visionary Leadership of Jamoh.
He had alluded to some of their discussions during some of their sessions at the ministerial level which may have emboldened to declare: I admire the achievements of NIMASA, during presentations. This may have informed why he has sought collaboration with the agency so that NSC, can leverage on these feats and move its operations forward.
Taken a cue from Jamoh’s presentation and remarks, he ad said that that NSC, is the country’s Port Economic Regulator and Trade Facilitation Agency with the responsibility ‘’to promote fair trade practices in the nation’s maritime industry amongst the providers and consumers of shipping and port services.
He may have used the opportunity provided by the visit to the maritime regulatory agency to reecho the fact that its mandate ‘’ is to establish an enabling environment for all stakeholders by instituting an efficient and effective economic statutory system in the country’s transport sector’’ as one of the agencies under the Adegboyega Oyetola, a former governor of Osun state led ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
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