GROUP FLAYS COMPOSITION OF PORT AUDIT COMMITTEE

The Maritime Industry Advocacy Initiative has expressed strong reservation with the composition of members to serve on the committee recently inaugurated by the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, to review the concession agreement between the Nigerian Government and private port operators.

The non-governmental organisation in a press release issued by its Executive Director, Mr Sesan Onileimo, said the noble intention of the Minister for setting up the committee could be derailed due to the quality of the person appointed to chair the committee.

“ It is our humble opinion that the appointment of Mr Ilogu, who is (no doubt) an accomplished maritime lawyer to head that committee is a disservice to the maritime industry and one that may adversely the outcome of the committee’s assignment. The mistake may not have been deliberate, but failure to correct it is portends credibility problems for both the committee and the outcome of is report.

We are not in anyway insinuating that Mr Ilogu is not competent to preside over the committee; far from that, we are also not disparaging his person. We are only worried that previous and/or current engagements of the lawyer may affect his neutrality as the chairman and also on the credibility of a committee that is saddled with the responsibility of auditing port concession.

As a reminder, the committee is expected to handle sensitive issues such as: assessment of the extent of implementation of the various terms of the concession agreement, evaluation of the performances of NPA as a landlord of the ports and also evaluates the current administrative structure of the agency in relation to its regulatory role.

We are strongly of the opinion that the mere fact that Mr Ilogu had once openly represented the Seaports and Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria is even enough reason for him to have honourably rejected the current assignment”, the statement reads .