Immediate past Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, on Tuesday, said that his successor, Mr Emmanuel Jime, has immeasurable qualities that the nation’s maritime industry needs.
Bello described his successor as a ‘man of steel’, who has valued experience that the industry stands to benefit.
Speaking during a lunch/reception organised in his honour by his media friends in Ikeja, Lagos, the former NSC CEO pointed out that Jime as twice member of the House of Representatives, former CEO of Nigeria Export Processing Zone Authority (NEPZA) and Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly has a lot of value to offer to the maritime industry.
He said, “My successor is a man of steel. A man who has valued experience that I can never dream of. He will perform more than all of us put together (referring to past Executive Secretaries of NSC). I assure you that he is going to do that”.
Bello added that the NSC from inception has always been lucky to have wonderful CEOs who have performed creditably during their terms in the Council.
He recalled the efforts by Dr. Kingsley Usor who with meager funding was able to build the present corporate office of the Council, Chief Adebayo Sarumi, Dr. Mrs Grace Obiozor, late Capt Adamu Biu who gave their best to the industry and the Council.
He also said the Council has also been lucky to have good personnel who any chief executive can work with.
According to him, the NSC as the ports economic regulator is well respected today because of the integrity of the personnel at all levels.
He also explained that this was one of the reasons that NSC enjoys tremendous support in the ports industry.
Bello who described the media as critical to the economic and political development of any nation called on the maritime media to extend the same level of cooperation given to him when he was in the Council to his successor.
In his speech, the new NSC Executive Secretary, Jime, said he would continue with all the programmes which Bello promoted while in office.
He identified the programmes, including the International Cargo Tracking Network (ICTN), among others as very critical for the good of the industry.
He also said that he has noticed that the NSC has a good foundation, adding that this means that the future will continue to be better.
Jime called for the support of the maritime media in information dissemination on the activities of the ports economic regulator.
The founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam also called on the media to support the new NSC helmsman in his new assignment the same way it supported Bello.
He commended the organisers of the event for the honour bestowed on Bello, adding that it was a wonderful thing to come from journalists in the industry, and one that every former chief executive should wish.
Aniebonam who needs new ES for not honouring its invitation for a similar event in the past said he has now soft-pedalled on his anger.
He explained that he was doing so based on every indication that Jime is a good man and will do the industry good.
