Dr. Adebambo  Somuyiwa is the  Head of Department (HoD), Department of Transport Management, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

* Temisan Omatseye, DG of NIMASA

The well travelled scholar who has attended several transport seminars and workshop both locally and internationally, in this chat with Vanguard’s Godfrey Bivbere and Ifeyinwa Obi spoke on the dearth of professionals in the maritime sector and other aspects of transport, stressing the need for government to fund training.

The university don also regretted that Nigeria is gradually developing into a piracy nation threatening to take over from countries like Somalia and Bangladeshi. He scored the implementation of the cabotage law low, explaining that the indigenous ship owners have not shown enough seriousness to operate in shipping industry. The Head of Department also spoke on  other issues, including the controversial Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) recently by the Federal Government. Excerpts:

What is your take on the collection of the controversial Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) by the management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)?

Honestly, there is nuthing wrong with the concept of the CTN. It should be working for the impmvement and safety aspects of the containers. However, it has to be holistic, in its enforcement. Commenting about development, its a good aspect of it so, people should not frown at it.

This is because it will limit the rate of corruption or other atrocities that importer may intend to commit. Some operators in the system are frowning at it because it will not afford them the opportunity to do some of the unethical things they do while importing goods into the country, such ills are concealment and underrdeclaration. In fact. this could be likened to the situation in the Nigerian Railway system where activities and developments are always sidetracked by those who owned big trucks and trailers that haul goods across the country.

These group of people fight tooth and nail to ensure that they are appointed into the board of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) where they ensure that policies of government never see the light of the day, while funds made available for its development are mismanaged to frustrate the entire system. Those operators feel that if the CTN is allowed to work it will reduce corruption while their pockets would grow lean. Actually, to many Nigerians, wealth is more important to them than other interests.

What is your opinion on the claims of dearth of professionals in the transport sector?
As we all know transport is a peculiar profession, in other countries of the world, in fact the sector provides more than the 40 – 50 per cent of the work force. But here in Nigeria, one could ask what is the way forward?

You see, a lawyer in the maritime sector claiming to be a transporter, but in the actual sense he has not studied courses in transport. That you are a lawyer does not make you a good transporter because you have not studied the course. We have not actually gotten it right, the way it should be.

It is a good development that we have institutes like the Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS), Certified Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), the Institute of Transport Technology, Zaria and some universities which run excellent courses in transport. Government should encourage training in these institutions and focus on them. You have to match theory with practical, research etc.

These type of personnel are conspicuously missing in the system. Sadly, those who do not know what transport is all about are made chairmen, chairperson or chief executives in transpurt-related committees. What do you think they can do, since they do not actually know the transport aspect of what they are supposed to do.

On the Cabotage law, what do you think is responsible for the inefficient implantation?
In my opinion, the Cabotage law in Nigeria has not actually made an impact. It actually has not succeeded. The indigenous ship owners have not showed enough serousness that they actually want to operate in the system. One way is that thy could have jointly pulled their resources together and buy modem vessel which they could use for cabotage trade.

But they have not done this. Are they formidable and competent in the sector, can they do anything. It revolves around the economy, somebody has to ensure that the right thing is done.

Indigenous Ship owners could also go into partnership with other investors in other parts of the world and operate a joint venture, from there they will grow.

What is your opinion on piracy in Nigerian waters?
Before now, we were hearing about Bangladesh and Somalia as the piracy prone areas of the world, but surprisingly today, Nigeria is being listed as a piracy nation. This is not acceptable. People are now afraid of sailing into our waters, which of course will have some economic implications.

Cargoes meant for the country may have additional costs added to it because of loss which shippers may encounter and they may decide to discharge goods meant for our country at the nearest seaport like Cotonou or Tema Port in Ghana. Already, tankers awaiting to lift crude oil to go to Ghana Port and await their turns to lift crude in Nigeria.

This also means that the port charges that they could have paid while anchoring on Nigerian ports are now paid to Ghana. Honestly, we have to adjust and start the issue of security from our ports to the sea. There has to be an organization in charge. Presently because of our cultural background, the level and rate of seamen or master mariners is very low.

It is also sad that organization are struggling to be in charge of security at the sea. You have Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigeria Navy and the new outfit the National Assembly intended to establish. Which ever one that is going to be in charge, the issue is that they e going to be mobilized.

Is just like having the mobile police, the road safety all doing the same job on our highways. Some of them are worst than the other and they are supposed to compliment themselves in doing their job, since it is the same thing.
Do you not think that the newly proposed agency’s role will conflict with the NIMASA Act?

Actually, it is important that we set up an agency which responsibility would be solely to check piracy on our waters, because if nothing is done it will definitely affect our international trade. It is not just enough to establish a security outfit but to insure that such outfit is well sustained. If it is the Maritime Security Bill, let it be sustained. But my fear is the implementation.

Are they going to do that religiously? It also boils down to personnel and one would ask for instance, is there any difference between the police and FRSC? In our waters, should there be any difference between the Navy and the outfit that woulo be the fall out of the Security Bill? They should not run riot. Which ever one that is on ground must work closely with the Navy, for instance. They must compliment one another.

The level of literacy at the port is very, with the introduction of e-transactions, how can this be corrected?
Looking at the maritime industry, the level of literacy is alarming. Remember, this is a sector where clearance of goods is no longer done manually but electronically. In other words, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the freight forwarders as designed in the present circumstance, do their work online and there should be no body contact with each parties.

You pay in the bank and assess every other thing online. But the question now is, are these freight forwarders, importers and even stevedoring workers computer literate or trained in their respective fields. The answer is no. Not many of them can use the computer or clear their goods electronically.

Be that as it may, they should not be all thrown out of the system but to find a way to get them trained.
If you throw them out of the system, what you will get are people carrying guns and the problem will multiply. To avoid this, I strongly recommend that these people should be trained. The Federal Government through the Transport Minister should train these people in batches, they can commission some universities or polytechnic to run a course for these people. NIMASA which is the apex maritime regulator of the country could also organize training for them in their Maritime Resource Centre in Apapa or elsewhere.

The industry needs people who can be able to effectively do the job. Also part of the obligation of the Federal Government should be social welfare for the people. This is so because government should have no business being in business but should be able to create the conducive atmosphere through which business should thrive.