- Ameachi touts improvement under his watch
By Uzor Odigbo
Special Correspondent, Lagos
Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, says maritime security has improved under his watch from 9 per cent in 2013 to 79.3 per cent in 2016.
He told the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in a recent visit that the improvement is based on the performance by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
TheNiche learnt that while Amaechi was seeking a review of Conditions of Entry (CoE) for vessels that have visitedNigerian ports perceived to be non-compliant in the past, he said 80 per cent of them have complied and should be removed from the restriction list.
“Nigeria appreciates the efforts and support of the United States government in encouraging a cordial bilateral relationship with Nigeria, not only in the area of maritime security, but also in other areas.
“I want to assure the U.S. Coast Guard and indeed the international shipping community of Nigeria’s commitment to the full implementation of the ISPS code to further institute a strict security regime in our maritime environment,” he added.
Amaechi was in the U.S.at the instance of the USCG, and was accompanied by his Maritime Safety and Security Director, Danjuma Dauda; NIMASA Director General, Dakuku Peterside; and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Hadiza Usman.
USCG Assistant Commandant, Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, expressed the determination of the American government to continue supporting Nigeria to implement the ISPS code in full.
Thomas, who oversees the USCG directorates of inspection and compliance as well as marine transport systems, commended Nigeria for its progress in the ISPS code implementation so far.
He said the visit was to expose the delegation to the strategies adopted by America to successfully implement the code.
Approval of new maritime security architecture
Amaechi has also hosted the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON) in Abuja, where he expressed the government’s concern over criminality in maritime, including piracy.
He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a fresh maritime security architecture to stop the menace.
Below are excerpts of the interview:
Impact on maritime security and economy
All I know is that the president has approved a new security framework for the maritime sector, but I will not be able to say much on it until we meet and the chairman and co-chairman announce what the structure is.
I don’t think we should go beyond that because if we go beyond that we are revealing the architecture of national security.
When willmaritime help boost the economy?
I am not a magician and the solution is not even in importing, because it is not as if they banned our vessels from travelling out and coming in with goods into the country.
Nigeria’s economy is import dependent, and so if there is a downward trend in dollar purchases then the chances of importation will also be lower and the implication therefore will be that business, both the larger and smaller ones, will also not be rising; it will rather be going down.
So when you ask if I have any particular time frame when the economy will start to boom again, I will say that I am not a magician to know.
But I am confident the economy will soon be out of the woods; the federal government is working towards the growth of the economy.
The federal government has said it is looking for money to pump into the economy so that people will have money to buy and sell.
When there is more money in the economy, then business activities will increase. They are doing everything they can to put money in the system.
I will not be able to mention other parts of the country because I am not there, but in Abuja here, as I was coming, I was surprised to see that work has resumed on the road that was abandoned for a long time, near the NTA [Nigerian Television Authority].
The man who owns the company was driving the caterpillar, someone else was driving the tipper.
Most people would be employed, that is part of the way in which we can grow the economy.
Julius Berger is working on the airport road. Even if you are flying, you will still take that road to enter Abuja, that is what the Buhari government is doing to reflate the economy.
I watched on TV where the Governor of Cross Rivers State [Ben Ayade] spoke on the dredging of Calabar Port.
I see the project as a drain pipe on the purse of government. Several times the port has been dredged and the fund the federal government has sunk into the project has not yielded any dividend.
So for how long will we continue to spend money on the dredging of that project that is not viable?I don’t know if it is viable or not, let our professionals make that decision because that is why they were employed.
I am aware that the state government is partnering with the private sector to develop what they call Bakassi deep sea port; that is a good alternative to Calabar Port and that will bring development to the area.
Let’s encourage the state government to develop the place and we should find solution to the dredging of the port; and the government will decide what it wants to do with the place.
But I will advise along that line under my ministry.
Progress on resuscitating national carrier
I will tell you what is not gossip and what I think is gossip.
It is not a gossip that we attended a meeting with investors in Singapore and we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with them.
The foreign investors are ready. The problem is Nigerian investors. In that case, if you talk of Nigerian investors, we are talking about those who will bring in the money, I mean their own funds.
Foreign investors have big vessels and the money, while Nigeria investors are yet to bring out their money.
We need to buy vessels that can go to other countries for international and coastal trading.So we are waiting for the Nigerian investors.
What is gossip is that local investors went to banks and banks did not give them money. I asked them to write, and when they put it in writing, then I can tell the country that ZYX bank did not give the investors money.
And if I will advise,there should be debit equity funding, to fund 100 per cent debit will not be good for the Nigerian investors.
Security of waterways
I have said it before that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a new security architecture for that nation’s maritime sector, and I will not go beyond that because if you tell a thief that you are coming to arrest him, you don’t expect him to remain there till you arrive.
Actual amount GEwants to invest in Nigerian rail system
GE[General Electric] has come out with a statement explicitly saying that they were misunderstood when they said that they were going to invest $150 million.
Then they came forward to say that the $150 million is their current investment in the Nigerian Railways.
Going forward, they said they are in negotiation with a consortium and that the consortium will invest more than $2 billion.
Access roads to Lagos sea ports
The Federal Ministry of Works is doing the roads. Although the NPA wanted to do them, somehow the Ministry of Works wants to do them.