Former NISA president, Aminu Umar dumps association, joins SOAN

The immediate past President of the Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA), Mallam Aminu Umar has dumped the association and joined the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), findings have revealed.

Disclosing this to the Nigerian Tribune during a telephone conversation, President of SOAN, Dr. Mkgeorge Onyung explained that the maritime industry is saddled with more grappling issues than association matters.

According to the SOAN President, “Why are you people concerned about who joined who? There are more knotty issues confronting the nation’s maritime sector than association matters. In Nigeria, there is freedom of association, anybody can belong anywhere. Aminu joined SOAN a long time ago, but we wouldn’t go public on this because we didn’t think its news.”

When reminded that the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi had advocated for the merger of all ship-owners association, Onyung explained that this is not possible because n Nigeria, there is freedom of association and expression.

“Does the NIMASA Act says that until ship-owners merge before they can get what belongs to them? The Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) has not been disbursed for years. Is it until we merge that we will get the funds? There is nowhere in the NIMASA Act that states that until ship-owners ,merge before they will get funded.

“At my election, I made it clear that we should concern ourselves with how to move the industry forward. We ship owners have put in a lot of money in our businesses over the years and that is why we are talking about the investment and the prosperity of the ocean

“As I speak to you, ship-owners are losing from the ocean, and we need to be part of the prosperity of the ocean. So the issue of merger of associations is something our enemies are using to work against us. We need to stay away from those kinds of discussions. We should concern ourselves with what will bring prosperity to the industry and stop all these bickering”, he stressed.

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