By Shola Fadeyi
Dr Bashir Jamoh, President, CIoTA
The President of the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria (CIoTA), Dr Bashir Jamoh has promised that the body, during its National Summit/ Annual General Meeting will put in place, an Implemetation Committee that will ensure that the decisions reached at the programme are pursued to logical conclusions.
He said the theme of the Summit to be chaired by the Chairman Senate Committee on Marine Transport , Senator Danjuma Goje is ‘’Unlocking the Potentials of Transportation for Sustainable Development” while it will hold at the the Musa Yar’Adua Conference Centre , Abuja, from Decemeber 3 to 5, 2019.
Speaking yesterday on an NTA Abuja Morning Programme as a prelude to the event , he said the need for the implementation Committee is to ensure that the outcome of the programme are practically beneficial to the Transport sector and the economy , and to avoid the reapeat of a situation where Implementation has always been an issue in the polity.
He expressed the Institute’s appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the bill establishing CIoTA and assured that the body will not disappoint Nigerians on their expectations from it.
The CIoTA President stated that the summit will be held in fulfillment of his pledge that it will come up with programmes and create a platform where all transport-related bodies would come together to brainstorm and share ideas with the relevant authorities for the development of the sector
Jamoh stated that the aim of the summit is to push for policies that will enable seamless integration of the different modes of transportation in the country, adding that it will feature an array of renowned experts, led by Chairman, Presidential Economic Council, Dr. Doyin Salami, who will be making presentations on various aspects of the Nigerian transportation system and seek ways for improving it, for the good of the Nigerian economy.
Speaking further on the event, the President of CIoTA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, who is also Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), added that the summit would equally create an avenue to address the silo nature of the modes of transportation in the country, which have not been beneficial to trade and supply chain.
He said, “During the summit, CIoTA will be addressing a key issue of how best we can get the needed value in the supply chain, because trade is only complete when goods can get to their final destination in efficient manner.
According to him, the CIoTA, will constantly offer professional advice to government on issues relating to transportation ,and will also continue to train its members so that they will be in tandem with modern day realities, and best global practices as regards transportation.
Jamoh disclosed that CIoTA aimd to achieve all its plans in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Transportation, Federal Ministry of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, NIMASA, NPA, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), along with other well meaning organizations, related national associations and the security agencies.
He said CIoTA hopes to utilize the summit to bring the Federal and State Governments and other major stakeholders together, to push for the required policies to enable seamless integration of the modes of transportation in the country, to ease the challenges at hand and move the nation’s economy forward
The CIoTA President disclosed that specifically, the summit will advise the Federal Government on the need to improve on the ongoing connection of the Ports with rail as well as encourage the use of barges and pipelines for the carriage of goods and piping of products, as part of measures to reduce the dependemce on the roads for transportation of cargoes
He disclosed that the Minister of Transportation, Honourale Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika, Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, and Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemi Saraki, will be leading the pack of Guests of Honours and 36 State Commissioners to the 2019 National Transport Summit, to meet with other stakeholders to brainstorm on ways to move the Nigeria’s transport sector and the economy forward.
Other speakers expected at the summit according to him, include Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside; Founder, Centre for Value in Leadership, Professor Pat Utomi; Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala-Usman and the Executive Secretary/CEO Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello.
Others are retired Merchant Navy Captain, Emmanuel Iheanacho, the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Engr. Fidet Okhiria, Prof. Innocent Ogwude and Chris Asoluka, Chairman Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone.