Indigenous ship owners in Nigeria have continued to groan and wallow in huge financial indebtedness and lack of jobs even as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) celebrated 2017 World Maritime Day amid pomp and pageantry.
Shedding more light on the plight of Nigerian indigenous ship owners during the just concluded IMO World Maritime Day celebration, Chairman of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Mr Greg Ogbeifun, said there was nothing worth celebrating about it in Nigeria.
According to Ogbeifun who spoke with Nigerian Tribune, “From the ship owners’ perspective, there is nothing to celebrate about the World Maritime Day.
“The ship owners in Nigeria are currently going through a very difficult time. The government has not shown enough sincerity that it wishes to support the indigenous ship owners to stay relevant in the Nigerian maritime industry.
“As regards the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) and job opportunities in the Nigerian maritime sector, government has not just done enough to support the indigenous ship owners in Nigeria’s shipping industry.
“The only good thing that has happened to the Nigerian maritime sector is the recent approval for the re-positioning and restructuring of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron by Mr President.
“The academy has been comatose for decades, but Mr President has now approved the implementation of the recommendation of the ministerial committee to reposition and restructure the academy. That implementation is currently ongoing, and this is a major accomplishment.
“It is hoped that by the end of the implementation of the recommendations of the ministerial committee, MAN, Oron will begin to produce appropriate and well schooled Nigerian seafarers for the country’s shipping industry.
“For me, that’s the only major accomplishment that is worth celebrating in Nigeria’s maritime industry. The CVFF is yet to be disbursed; indigenous ship owners are wallowing in abject joblessness, and piracy is on the increase, can you tell me what Nigeria is celebrating in this year’s IMO World Maritime Day?”
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