THE Chairman, Starzs Investments Company Limited (SICL), Engineer Greg Ogbeifun has said that many conventions of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) are not domesticated in Nigeria because many government functionaries ‘slept’ when they attend IMO meetings in London.
Speaking recently in Lagos during the 16th Marine and Technical Summit of the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), the former President of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) lamented that during IMO meetings, professionals are left behind while government functionaries who don’t understand the nitty-gritty of maritime attend.
According to Greg Ogbeifun: “Majority of the policy direction of the IMO were not domesticated here in Nigeria because a lot of time, those who attend don’t understand what they are talking about during such meetings.
“During such meetings, our people were sleeping because they didn’t even know why they were there not to talk of bringing the policies back home and domesticating them.
“We should be listening to the policies and learn how to bring them back home. These are the realities. There you are, you have you and I who can be taken along to such meetings. Let us listen to the policies and interpret to them when we get back home so that such policies can be domesticated.
“I don’t know if the situation has changed now with the creation of a ministry for the Marine and Blue Economy, but this is what has been happening in time past.”
The event with the theme: “Maritime Transport and Blue Economy: Route to Sustainable Success,” also featured three other paper presentations by Engr. Emmanuel Ilori, Engr. Sandra Okoli-Ubong and Engr. Akintayo Akinbode.
In his welcome remarks, the President of AMES, Engr. Israel Obadan, expressed dissatisfaction at the current state of shipping, the country, especially the lack of single digit interest loans for operators and the dearth of qualified engineers and master mariners.
Obadan, however, disclosed that the association has initiated plans to have training arrangements with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Dangote Refinery for the training of marine engineers with emphasis on seatime.
The event was graced by several key maritime stakeholders including; the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapomo; former Minister of Interior and Chairman, Integrated Oil, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho; President, Nigerian Association of Master Mariners, Capt. TajudeenAlao; Secretary General, African Shipowners Association, Funmi Folorunso; Convener, Oil Trading Logistics (OTL) Africa Downstream Week, Dr. Emeka Akabogu; among others.
