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Barr. (Mrs.) Margaret Orakwusi, a foremost Nigerian shipowner and former president of Nigerian Trawler Owners Association(NITOA) has just been appointed the Chairman of Shipowners’ Forum, a platform for only shipowners to discuss matters that affect them and the country. In this chat with MMS plus, she tries to explain what the forum is out to achieve. Excerpts:
How was the meeting with the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) and members of your forum, last week?
It went well. You know NSC is the only agency in the maritime industry now that knows what they are doing. They are so organized. The meeting went well. You know we now have Ship-owners Forum, which is meant for only ship-owners in the industry.
How come Capt. Labinjo’s faction of NISA was not involved in the meeting?
This new platform is for only true shipowners and the meeting or the forum is not out to dissolve the various shipowners associations into one. NISA has two groups and about 70 percent of them are not shipowners. However, Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) are majorly shipowners. This is where I belong and what we want to discuss under the shipowners forum is to discuss what affects us, the shipowners. I am a Lawyer, but not in bankers’ forum and not an insurance person and so cannot be in their group. I own vessels and so I am in a group of shipowners. We are coming together to be able to meet the government with a common voice to be able to resolve our problems as operators. So this is our platform for all shipowners, whether you are in Capt. Labinjo’s faction or Aminu’s or in SOAN you are entitled to the membership of Shipowners Forum. We have not collapsed the associations to have this forum. I am still a member of SOAN, while my name is still on the membership list of NISA led by Aminu. So, all the associations are still standing on their own. This forum is therefore meant for real ship owners. So this is not a reconciliatory meeting or platform for the associations. This explains why at that meeting with ES/CEO of NSC, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun was there, Aminu Umar and I were there. And at the bigger meeting where the forum was formed, Chief Isaac Jolapomo, Mr. Jegede of Japaul, Emeka Ndu, Ayo Adedoyin, many other shipowners were there. So we are trying to tackle issues concerning shipowners.
Is this forum meant to co-ordinate the activities of shipowners or what is the destination of this forum?
I was made the chairman of this shipowners forum to co-ordinate the activities. Some downstream and upstream operators who own ships are also members. Also, trawler owners who own vessels are equally members. The membership criterion is that if I register a vessel with the Ministry of Transport, I am qualified to be a member of shipowners forum.
And we want to use this platform to help ourselves and present a common front to the Minister of Transport. For instance, if there is an indigenous operator that secures contract with any of the international oil companies (IOCs) but can’t deliver as a result of faulty vessel instead of losing that contract or a Nigerian losing it, any member of the forum that has the vessel specification can take up the job on his behalf and other things can be sorted out within the forum.
We intend having a common training vessel for sea time for the Nigerian Cadets. The cost will be cheaper for us. So there are many benefits that will accrue to members. And this idea in which a member of any of the associations that is not a ship owner will wake up and speak for shipowners is not proper.
We also want to see a situation where indigenous shipowners will be the first to secure the contract of affreightment of crude oil from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). We should have right of carriage from the cargo generated in Nigeria.
