By Kenneth Jukpor
Political and economic experts have admonished the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIoTA) Nigeria to correct the transport deficits in country.
The experts were speaking during the Investiture Ceremony of the newly elected President of CIoTA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh in Lagos, stressed that transport professionals should take the lead role in proffering solutions to the nation’s transport problems, such as the perennial Apapa traffic gridlock.
In his keynote address, the Chairman, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi challenged the Institute on competitions that will make the sector effective, adding that the country has moved from the primitive economy to a modern economy with transportation as the key to these developments, and noted that part of underperformance reason is why we have not been effective in the transportation sector.
According to Utomi, CIoTA can be very significant if it is ready to make the push and take necessary steps in the best interest of the transport sector.
Meanwhile, Prof. Utomi condemned the celebration of railway construction, stating that they were once in existence but has deteriorated so much that we now see the new ones as a big deal, when things should be getting better as in other countries.
“When Lagos was still a small coastal State, then I schooled in Ibadan and lived in Lagos, and I use to go to school then by train and back. Trains were used then to transport oil products to places like Gauzo, Ozoro and all over the country. Today they are not working.
“There are several port facilities that can be activated in the country. It is easy to move most of the containers at the port by rail, out of the ports to inland terminals out of which the trucks can now take them to different parts of the country.
“With people like Bashir Jamoh, I am sure he can stir his colleagues to come up with ideas and share those ideas with policy makers so that we can get things running up to speed. Cooperation between players in the sector will determine the effectiveness of policy outcome.
However, CIoTA expressed readiness to synergize with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT),Nigeria in order to proffer lasting solutions to the numerous challenges facing the various modes of transportation in the country.
The newly elected President of CIOTA, Bashir Yusuf Jamoh made the assurance during his investiture and inauguration of the council executives.
According to him, professional advocacy to the government will contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the transport sub sector of the economy.
Jamoh who also doubles as the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) added that through a thorough detailed and disciplinary research will inform the government on the right policies that will breed outcomes that will help galvanize the transport sector.
CIOTA boss also promised to work with the government to proffer a lasting solution to the problems bedeviling the transportation system of Nigeria.
Jamoh added that with the cooperation of the Board of Trustees and executives, the Institute will categorise the plans of salvaging the sector into short, medium and long term plans.
His words, “To government, the Institute through detailed and disciplinary research will inform government and relevant stakeholders of optional policy choices and associated outcomes in Nigeria in the transport sector.
“We are planning to categorize our plans in short, medium and long term plans. With the short term plan, we intend to use volunteer services particularly with use of Corp members to make sure we alleviate the suffering of Apapa area as we have been challenged by stakeholders.
“In the medium term, we will showcase our own position paper to work along with government to find a lasting solution through the use of multi modal transport system especially the railways.
“We will work with relevant stakeholders, legislature to ensure enabling legislation or amendments to provide enabling environment for transportation stakeholders to thrive.”
However, he called on all stakeholders to collaborate with the Institute to achieve its planned objectives even as he boasted that the body of professionals is equal to the task.
“We are here to see how we can provide solutions to make sure the problems and challenges of transportation does not remain the problem of only the government but with each and every one of us” he added.
Speaking earlier in his goodwill messages, President of CILT, Nigeria, Mr. Jibril Ibrahim assured stakeholders that the two institutes would work closely to engage and advice government on the best way to improve the sector.
