By Friday Idachaba
The Nigeria Shippers’ Council has pledged to scale up its services to Kogi Shippers to ensure an effective transport transport/maritime system.
Mrs Ify Okolue, Zonal Director, North-Central Zone of the council, said this at the validation and inauguration of a new Executive Council for Kogi Shippers’ Association on Saturday in Lokoja.
She also said the council would enhance the support service ability of the sector to enable it compete in the global economy.
Okolue said the quality, cost and efficiency of the council’s services influenced the trading environment as well as the overall cost of goods traded internationally.
She said due to the historical precedence of the people of Kogi State with maritime related activities along the Rivers Niger and Benue, the council deemed it necessary to establish an Area Office in Lokoja in March, 2000.
She added that the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) recommended the establishment of National Shippers Council in developing economies in 1956 to serve as a countervailing force against the excesses of foreign ship owners and other multinational maritime service providers.
Okolue said one of the statutory functions of the council was to provide a forum for protection of the interest of shippers on matters affecting the shipment of imports and exports to and from Nigeria and to encourage the formation of shippers’ associations all over the country.
She appealed to all stakeholders to support the new leadership of the association with ideas and suggestions that would improve the attainment of international trade and contribute to socio-economic development of the people of Kogi.
Speaking in same vein, Mr Edwin Ignatius, Area Officer of the NSC in Kogi said Nigeria earned over 405 million dollars from export of cashew nuts in 2018 with Kogi accounting for over 60 per cent of entire cashew production.
He said if properly harnessed and channelled with adequate information, the state could generate a lot of foreign exchange for the nation through its abundant natural resources.
In his acceptance speech, the newly inaugurated president of the association, Mr Habuh-Rajan Suleiman, thanked the Nigerian Shippers Council and members of the association for finding it worthy to serve.
He pledged cooperation and collaboration with the management of the NSC in its effort to regulate and ensure effective transportation and movement of goods and services within and outside Nigeria.
The newly elected executive officers inaugurated to oversee all the affairs of the association for the next two years include: Habuh-Rajan Suleiman, president; Okotie Felix, vice president; Mike Damia, general secretary and Iyke Joel, assistant general secretary.
Others are: Alhaji Ichapi Mohammed, treasurer; Darlington Jide-Ofor, financial secretary; Donatus Pope, publicity secretary; Biodun Akerejola, auditor, while Engr. Meduteni and Mr Nuhu Adaji were returned as ex-officio members.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the occasion was the administration of the oath of office administered on the newly elected executive officers of the association by a legal practitioner, Ogala Omachoko Esq. (NAN)
