Operators bash Blue Economy ministry over budget for new vehicles, travel

Operators in the Blue Economy sector have expressed their disappointment in the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy over its plans to spend N1 billion on new vehicles in 2024.

In the budget, made available to the public and sighted by PlanetPulse.NG, the ministry also plans to spend a total of N35 million on local and foreign travels in the same year.

These planned expenses and more are stated in the 2024 appropriation act already signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

But speaking on the appropriation, the president, National Association of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Lucky Amiwero, said the money budgeted for vehicles could instead be channelled towards port rehabilitation.

According to him, purchasing such a huge amount of vehicles is a misplaced priority especially at a time when Nigerian Seaports require rehabilitation.

“Until Nigerians are ready to change, we will continue to be in crisis,” said Amiwero.

“It’s a terrible thing for us to go through what we are going through currently. What are we using N1 billion vehicles to do when our port facilities are dilapidated?

“It’s not worth it, we are supposed to make our port infrastructure at par with its contemporaries in the sub region so that we can compete favourable.

“This money allocated for vehicles should have been used for infrastructure development. Our ports lack modern infrastructure and we are not competing with any country.

“For instance, the ports in Lagos lack infrastructure to compete. We should dredge the channels and make our port more competitive with larger vessels calling but rather, we buy vehicles, but then, it’s unfortunate.

“Look at our port system, we are getting worried and tired but we will continue to ask the government to do things properly. But, they have vehicles before, what are they buying again? That money should be used for infrastructure provision and that would make our port competitive with its contemporaries in West and Central Africa,” Amiwero stated.

Also speaking, a frontline clearing agent, Ikechukwu Anaba, condemned the N1 billion allocated for the purchase of vehicles by the ministry.

Anaba was of the opinion that the minister, Adegboyega Oyetola, should set the ministry’s priority right.

“N1 billion for vehicles? What happened to the vehicles purchased in 2023 and 2022? Are the vehicles foreign or Nigerian used? Are they not brand new?” he asked rhetorically.

“This is an absolutely misplaced priority because we have lots of other priorities than vehicles,” he stated.