The League of Maritime Editors , LOME rolled out the drums last nweek to celebrate its 25 years anniversary in Lagos which attracted best minds in the maritime industry to chart the way forward for the beleaguered sector
By Miracle Egbo
Travel Inn Hotel located in Toyin Street in Ikeja, capital of Lagos State, on December 7, 2023 crawled with people from all walks of life that came to celebrate with the League of Maritime Editors, LOME to mark its 25 years existence on earth. Travel Inn Hotel for a very long time has not had such crowd that graced the anniversary.
The chief host of the event and the President of LOME, High Chief Timothy Paul Okorocha was greening from ear to ear as he welcomed the A list of invitees that graced the occasion. The excitement of Chief Okorocha is not far- fetched, the huge success of the event and the number of the A list invitee that graced the occasion.
In his welcome address, the President of the LOME, Chief Okorocha thanked those who graced the occasion, adding that the retreat cum 25th anniversary of the league is an ample opportunity to discuss pressing issues that would help to shape the fortunes of the maritime sector that has been described in many quarters as the cash cow of any administration in power. The theme of the retreat is: “Harnessing Nigerian Potential in Marine and Blue Economy and the New Customs Act and its Implication on Trade”.
“As serious minders of the maritime industry, conversant with its official operational and evolutionary changes and progress in the past 25 years, permit me on behalf of the League to congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the further unbundling of the Transport Ministry and the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy”, said Okrocha
With that opening salvo, Chief Okorocha declared the retreat open and elicited what was to be an explosive discussion in terms of what the speakers who spoke at the event spewed. Statements emanating from the lectures delivered at the events elicited reactions that would shape the fortunes of the sector. The key note speaker at the retreat Dr. Charles Okorefe spoke on the theme: “Harnessing Nigeria Potential in the Marine And Blue Economy”. Dr. Okorefe, a senior lecturer at the Maritime University in Delta State said that in ASCON Badagry last year where the league held another retreat, he proposed that there was the need for the unbundling of the Transport Ministry, and today his advice had been adhered to. He advised the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola to do everything humanly possible to make sure that the impact of the brand new ministry is felt in the maritime sector
Dr. Okorefe said that ministry could retool the ocean properties to revamp the economy of the country if the right thing is done. He said that renewable energy is possible by proper development of the marine economy. Deep sea mining is possible, and if the potential of the brand new ministry is harnessed, there is every possibility of more job creations in the country.
The Controller General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, ably represented by Controller Dera Nnadi in taking the audience through the new Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 revealed that the new Act provides laws that would prosecute those who run at cross roads with the law. He said that those who committed infractions could go for six months imprisonment. Adeniyi said that the Customs Act 2023 is going to add to the ease of doing business in the country, advising stakeholders to stick to the rule and regulations as stipulated in the Act because it is going to assist all stakeholders in the sector.
