*Gives Reasons Why Cargo Tracking Note Is Not In Place
*NSC Boss Hails Sambo for Making Council Cargo Tracking Note Designated Authority
The immediate past Minister of Transportation, Engr. Mu’azu Jaji Sambo has given reasons why he requested that the farewell party organized in his honour and the Minister of State, Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye was fixed after his exit from office instead of when he was still in the saddle as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Sambo who was full of praise for former President Mohammadu Buhari for appointing him as a member of FEC argued that holding the occasion when he was still in office would not have allowed him to know those who really love him in the true sense of the word.
The former minister who was hitherto an Area Manager with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) disclosed this while responding to comments by stakeholders in the maritime industry at an appreciation dinner organized for him and Adegoroye recently by the League of Maritime Editors in Lagos.
He averred that it was difficult to know those who genuinely love you for who you are in power since some of them may have ulterior motives.
According to him, hosting the appreciation dinner for him after his exit from power have given him an opportunity to shift the wheat from the shaft as only those who are his true friends were present at the occasion. All of you that gathered here for this dinner in my honour are my true friends. I thank you for honouring me and Adegoroye.
While recounting the challenges he faced when he was in office especially the implementation of the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), the erstwhile minister enjoined to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani to ensure that the CNT comes into fruition.
He argued that in the absence of ministers, Ajani who was his school mate in secondary school remains the overall head of the ministry and can take a memo to Mr. President for his consideration and approval.
His words: “I trust you that before the next cabinet is in place make sure that the Cargo Tracking Note is working. You are the acting Minister now. You can take anything to Mr. President for approval and get express approval”.
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hon. Emmanuel Jime had earlier in his remarks recalled that the CTN which had been suspended for years and which the council struggled to reintroduce, was made possible during the tenure of Sambo.
Jime also revealed that it was Sambo who also approved the NSC as the Designated Authority (DA) for the implementation of the CTN.
He explained that he was aware of a number of agencies under the supervision of ministry which kicked against the NSC implementing the CTN.
Continuing, the NSC Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) said: “When Mu’azu Sambo came, the first thing he did as soon as he had interacted with me is ‘ES, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council under my watch will be given the implementation of the Cargo Tracking Note. He went ahead, using everything within the political capital available to him to make sure that the Federal Executive Council approved the implementation of the Cargo Tracking Note. Not only did he ensure approval, he made certain that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council is given the right of implementing the Cargo Tracking Note.
“And for us at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, this is leadership. I would have loved to stay here and eulogize and to speak extensively on what this is going to do to our maritime space but this is not the time. It is neither the place to do that except to say sir, if you did not do anything else in the maritime space, that singular achievement that was recorded will follow you as a legacy and indeed, we at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council never ever forget that there was a Minister Mu’azu Sambo.”
On Adegoroye, Jime said: “He never for once displayed that he was the boss and in this particular case, I was working under him instead. The Minister of State treated me as a friend and a brother. For me, that is a clear demonstration of the kind of leadership that these two men were. We did not work in an environment that gave the impression that we are under a structured leadership that is authoritarian, instead we worked with our bosses who actually took us as brothers and comrades and I do not really think that there is any better environment that you can do your best when you have a boss that takes you as a brother of his. So, sirs, we truly appreciate you. We love you”.
The Chairman of the occasion who is also the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha in his remarks described Sambo and Adegoroye as one of the Nigeria’s finest adding that he found in Sambo a dedicated and committed gentleman.
Boss who was represented by the former Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Tolu Odebiyi stated that there are achievers but also there are some quiet achievers who do not make noise.
According to him, they go around focused, doing what they are committed to doing and working very hard to make sure he gets the support of the federal government and of the National Assembly to execute all of his projects and there were lots of projects accomplished under Sambo. The trains, boats flagged off, among others are worthy of commendation. I pray and hope that your work will be recognized in the new administration and you’ll be rewarded accordingly.
The President, League of Maritime Editors, Chief Timothy Okorocha noted that Sambo and Adegoroye literally changed the narrative in the Nigeria’s maritime industry through hard work and uncommon commitment to raise the bar, grow and improve governance system, industry capacity, building and growth.
He averred that what he called “the uncommon camaraderie” that existed between them was a measure of collective gains recorded by their very eventful but short stint.
His words: “On behalf of the League, I wish to place it on record that Sambo and Adegoroye are the epitome of grace in leadership which also inspires and promote respect, chivalry and focus at workplace leading to efficiency and productivity. We thank you sirs, you have set a pace and standard that will take many decades to beat and brings us to effervescent with which the former Ministers attended to and driving transformational change in the industry moving from mere thoughts of the successive administrations to implementation and execution.
“Sambo, it is also on record is the first Minister to publicly acknowledge the efforts of his predecessor and declared that he would work to execute whatever was pending which he did by regularly identifying opportunities that can be harvested to raise capacity. One of such is in the area of the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF) which has stalled repeatedly close to two decades, Sambo said he was going to confront it frontally and ensure he secure approval to disburse it. He accomplished it in less than nine weeks record time. And barring any unforeseen circumstances, the process is already on”.
Continuing, Okorocha who is the Publisher of a maritime tabloid “This Page” said: “As media practitioners, it is our duty to have our eyes fixed on the activities and developments of the transport sector and its sub sectors. We hold that Alhaji Sambo and his brother Minister of State have been exceptional. We are thankful sirs and quite elated to recognize the strategic efforts they employed in moving the industry forward with emphasis on the establishment of One Stop Shop Port Community System to promote interconnectivity and efficiency.”
The highpoint of the occasion was the presentation of a unique portrait to Sambo and Adegoroye to the delight of stakeholders who came from far and near to witness it.
