The House of Representatives Marine Transport, Ports and Harbours Committee, on Wednesday suggested an increase in funds being allocated to maritime parastatals agencies to make the Nigerian maritime industry the hub of West and Central Africa.
The Chairman of the committee, Dr Patrick Asadu, made the suggestion during the committee’s oversight visit to the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in Lagos.
The committee commended the Shippers’ Council after listening and going through the presentation of the Council’s 2016 budget.
Asadu urged the NSC to put in more efforts in some of its operations.
“We are here to offer suggestions where performances had been low because the revenue was not coming as was projected.
“The committee is to ensure that the council generates more money and perform up to expectations.
“We have been informed by the council that those importers from the North East can go to Kaduna or other parts where the Inland Container Depots (ICD) are located to collect their consignments instead of coming to Lagos port.
“This ICD projects will go through Abia Oyo, Kaduna, Kano and other places in the country and we want the operators to start functioning to decongest Lagos ports.
“Beyond that, the ICD initiative is to protect the ports and that is why government needs to get the council more money to enable it function in those area mentioned,’’ NAN quotes Asadu as saying.
He said that virtually all government agencies had budget allocation that was less than 60 per cent due to recession.
Asadu said that insufficient funds had contributed to the negative growth existing among the government agencies.
He, however, urged the council to ensure getting more revenue from conferences and tighten up the methods being used in renting out their properties to enable them to get more revenue for government.
He said the National Assembly was not blaming the parastatals agencies.
According to the law maker, government needs more money to finance its responsibilities and agencies should look forward to where to get more money for government.
He said that the Nigerian Constitution had stated that the National Assembly had the right to appropriate funds for government enterprises.
Asadu said this was why the committee needed to investigate further on how the funds were being used.
He said the duty of the committee was to ensure that what was approved was applied to the appropriate quarters.
The legislator said the House had adopted a model of visiting the agencies to find out how monies were being spent.
Asadu said the committee would verify the performance of the previous budget before approving 2017 budget to enable members to adjust, criticise and render advice if the need be.
The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, said that the committee had informed the council to improve more on revenue generation.
Bello said the committee had also emphasised that the council should improve on income from tenancy rents and seminars, book launch and other areas to ensure more monies were generated for the council.
“We promise we are going to look into those areas and improve on them,’’ NAN quotes Bello as saying.
The executive secretary said the NSC would soon appear before the National Assembly on 2017 budget anytime it is called upon. (NAN)