Maritime Agencies, Ministry Must Push More For NTC Bill Signing - Datti Muhammad

Harboursandport.com: Abuja - Chairman House Committee on Ports and Harbours, Honourable Garba Datti Mohammadu has called the government agencies in the maritime industry as well as the Ministry of Transportation to push more for the passage and signing of the National Transport Commission Bill.

Muhammad who disclosed this in Abuja at the recently concluded 16^th Maritime Seminar for Judges said that both houses of the National Assembly had passed the NTC bill and sent it to President Mohammadu Buhari for assent.

The lawyer maker explained that the time for signing the bill has elapsed and may have to be represented during the next assembly.

In his words, “Well, you know we started it in the last assembly, I think it was resubmitted when we came in. I think we have passed it and there was concurrence by the Senate, it is for the president to assent to it which he has not assented to yet and the time has elapsed.

“Maybe we have to resubmit it again in the next house, the agencies that were affected have to be more active also, it is the responsibility of whoever is the minister to convince the president to sign the bill because of its importance.”

On the responsibility of the committee, he said “As a committee, we have oversight on the Maritime sector, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, the Nigerian Shippers Council, NSC, the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria, CRFFN and the Ministry of Transportation itself.

“So I think we have been working closely. We also work where ever there is any amendment to the Act establishing these institutions or agencies, they reach out to us, we look at it, and at times we go through the Acts and see where there are some lacunas then we will adjust.

“Apart from that, especially this conference that is an international maritime conference, there is no law that will be binding on Nigeria even it is an international law without domestication by the national assembly and that is what we do.

“So any law that comes, because our laws are superior to the international law unless it is domesticated that is why arbitrations can happen or judgment can be done.