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By Steve Agbota
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wealthy Honey Investment Limited and immediate past Acting National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr Farinto Collins Kayode has congratulated the Ministers of Transportation, Adegboyega Oyetola and Minster of Marine and Blue Economy, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on their appointments to serve the nation’s maritime sector.
However, he promised that ANLCA and other maritime stakeholders will rally round them to succeed in their new tasks ahead.
Farinto who spoke with newsmen on Friday in Lagos, said he is very happy that the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu yielded to the patriotic call by stakeholders including himself to for the balcanisation of the bogus Transportation Ministry in order to fully harnessed the potentials of the Nigerian maritime industry, especially the Blue Economy project.
“Yes, I must say that I’m very happy with Mr President for having a listening ear and acting as such. You could remember I was in the forefront of asking the President to balcanise the Ministry of transportation, which in my view was very bogus , but not performing optimally. So I started glamoring if you could remember since the President Mohammedu Buhari regime, even though the last regime did not create it, but we never stopped.
“It may surprise you that during the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu campaigns , I made a proposal for the maritime industry and I suggested the creation of Ministry of Maritime Affairs. I’m happy that our efforts yielded fruit and now we have Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
‘It will also interest you to know that when Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the presidential election, while congratulating him in June, I reminded him of the need to create a Ministry of Maritime Affairs,” he said.
According to a letter dated June 20, 2023, addressed to President Bola Tinubu, with the title: “The Need To Create Ministry Of Maritime Affairs,” Farinto said notified Tinubu that the previous administrations up to President Mohammedu Buhari have administered the maritime industry through the Federal Ministry of Transportation, which is too large and bogus , hence the reason that all these administrations were unable to harness the maritime industry and tap the full potentials properly.
The last administration was only able to concentrate on the rejuvenation of the rail system, which was not even completed, the part of the letter reads.
The letter also suggested that if the Ministry of Maritime Affairs is created , it will achieve the United Nations , Sustainable Development Goals, which provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet with 17 SDGs.
The letter further suggested that the new Ministry can calve out such agencies like Nigerian Aquatic Splendour Authority ( NASA), National Inland Waterways Authority ( NIWA), Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Department of Oceanography (DOO) and Department of Maritime Insurance ( DOMI) and others as may be required.
Farinto, however, promised to make himself available for contributions and advises to make sure the new Ministry kicks -off properly to harness the Nigerian maritime and Blue Economy potentials for the prosperity of all Nigerians.
He said he will support both Ministers and the Federal government to make sure , the maritime industry, which has a lot of human and material resources are repositioned to create employment for the teeming unemployed youths as well as generate more revenue for government.
