Planned National Carrier a waste- Capt. Ihenacho reveals
A former minister for interior captain Emmanuel Ihenacho has given his take on what he feels wasn't just right at all on the current move by the Minister of transport in creating an alternate means of shipping carrier. captain Ihenacho who opposes the minister view point stated the need for the FG to make the sector viable enough for private investors to come in instead of a proposed new national shipping line as announced by the minister.
The former interior minister who also runs a private shipping line indicated that the responsibility of any government remains the sole capacity to adequately ensure an enabling environment for private investors who eventually grows up the sector in which they so desire to venture. He also suggested that it will be of more greater benefits for the government to pick several experienced private sector operators, empower them financially to set up a national fleets and let them run it as a private commercial enterprise stating that will pay more faster that a propose new national carrier.
“What is a national fleet? They are ships that fly the Nigerian flag. They are not going to make anything out of that, except waste the nation’s resources.
“The Nigeria National Shipping line (NNSL) is a case point. Political factors set in to ensure it never existed as a commercial enterprise.
“The same happened to the National Unity Line, which went down because of interference of political factors,” Ihenacho said.
Ihenacho maintained that it was the primary responsibility of government in ensuring an enabling environment for private investors to strive, set up their shipping line as required and indeed get to fly the Nigeria flag.
The ex interior minister also advises the federal government to change the crude oil terms of trade from Free on Board (FOB) to Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF). "One of the issues we have talked about for years is that we sold oil on Free On Board (FOB) basis and by so doing; we allowed vessels under other national flags to carry the crude. In so doing, we lost a lot of benefits, because our oil has zero value. What gives it value at the international market is when you have appended transport to it, and you can lift it from our oil wells and take it into the market.
“So, selling oil on an FOB Basis doesn’t really help us. It would be very nice, if there were maritime businessmen with the capacity to run international ships, who can make available their vessels for carrying crude to the refineries. The same thing goes for when the goods are refined to be brought back to the country.
“Currently, we depend on vessels that belong to non-Nigerians. It would be nice and beneficial, if we had an arrangement, where ships owned by Nigerians bring refined products back to the country.”
It will be recalled that the Minister of transport Rotimi Ameachi hinted the need for a lift in the maritime sector while at a lecture organized by the Association of Marine Engineers held in Lagos last week where he proposed the federal plan for the establishment of a new shipping line which he noted will not be funded by the cabbotage vessel finances stating other reliable source of funding for such projects.
The former interior minister who also runs a private shipping line indicated that the responsibility of any government remains the sole capacity to adequately ensure an enabling environment for private investors who eventually grows up the sector in which they so desire to venture. He also suggested that it will be of more greater benefits for the government to pick several experienced private sector operators, empower them financially to set up a national fleets and let them run it as a private commercial enterprise stating that will pay more faster that a propose new national carrier.
“What is a national fleet? They are ships that fly the Nigerian flag. They are not going to make anything out of that, except waste the nation’s resources.
“The Nigeria National Shipping line (NNSL) is a case point. Political factors set in to ensure it never existed as a commercial enterprise.
“The same happened to the National Unity Line, which went down because of interference of political factors,” Ihenacho said.
Ihenacho maintained that it was the primary responsibility of government in ensuring an enabling environment for private investors to strive, set up their shipping line as required and indeed get to fly the Nigeria flag.
The ex interior minister also advises the federal government to change the crude oil terms of trade from Free on Board (FOB) to Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF). "One of the issues we have talked about for years is that we sold oil on Free On Board (FOB) basis and by so doing; we allowed vessels under other national flags to carry the crude. In so doing, we lost a lot of benefits, because our oil has zero value. What gives it value at the international market is when you have appended transport to it, and you can lift it from our oil wells and take it into the market.
“So, selling oil on an FOB Basis doesn’t really help us. It would be very nice, if there were maritime businessmen with the capacity to run international ships, who can make available their vessels for carrying crude to the refineries. The same thing goes for when the goods are refined to be brought back to the country.
“Currently, we depend on vessels that belong to non-Nigerians. It would be nice and beneficial, if we had an arrangement, where ships owned by Nigerians bring refined products back to the country.”
It will be recalled that the Minister of transport Rotimi Ameachi hinted the need for a lift in the maritime sector while at a lecture organized by the Association of Marine Engineers held in Lagos last week where he proposed the federal plan for the establishment of a new shipping line which he noted will not be funded by the cabbotage vessel finances stating other reliable source of funding for such projects.
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