Again, there is an ongoing controversy in the presidency and the National Assembly over an agreement with various transport and maritime bills currently being considered by both arms of the Federal Government.
Earlier, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) forwarded four bills to the National Assembly for consideration and eventual passage, but investigation revealed that the position of the National Assembly through its marine transport committees is different with that of the executive.
The four bills includes National Transport Commission Bill, Nigerian Ports and Harbour Authority Bill Nigeria Railway Bill, and the National Inland Waterways Authority Bill.
However, indications are that the National Assembly favours the Port and Harbour bill, instead of the National Transport Commission (NTC) bill, but the Federal Executive Council(FEC) prefers the latter.
The NTC is a semblance of what obtains in South Africa, where a single regulatory agency in charge of alls modes of transportation.
The Port and Harbour Bill is a port industry-specific bill which seeks to create technical and commercial regulator for port businesses. It incorporates an Independent Port Regulatory Commission.
Investigation also revealed that the delay in the passage of the bill led to the recent directive to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to take up the commercial regulation responsibility while NPA takes charge of technical regulation.
Alli Folashade Temitope