Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Dr. Pius Akutah has said that President Bola Tinubu returned the Nigerian Port Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) bill without assenting to it due to issues concerning the mandate section of the Bill and also the one per cent Freight Stabilisation fee.
Speaking with reporters on the sideline of the visit of the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez at the weekend in Lagos, Akutah said that the issues surrounding the NPERA Bill have been addressed and the Bill is currently at the National Assembly for assessment before going back to the Presidency for his assent.
He said: “The NPERA bill was returned by Mr. President to the office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for advisory due to issues raised over the mandate section of the Bill, 1 per cent Freight Stabilisation fee and also the new role of the Shippers Council as Port Economic Regulator.
“But those issues have been clarified by the council. We met with the Attorney- General of the Federation and we have looked at those issues one after the other.
“Those issues created a little bit of confusion but that has been resolved because the Gazette of the Presidential Order of 2015 and the regulations of 2015 have all been handed over to the Minister of Justice.
“So, they have now looked at it again to see that the council mandate has changed by the order of the president appointing the Shipper’s Council as the Port Economic Regulator.
“So, those aspects that needed to be corrected have been corrected and the bill has gone back to the National Assembly on its way back to Mr. President for assent.
“There was a little bit hitch but we have overcome that hitch. So, it is now on track heading back to Mr. President. But the National Assembly still have to look at it because of those corrections that were made.
“You can’t correct a bill that has been passed without the National Assembly looking at it. The corrections are not so many, just a few of them regarding the mandate and then regarding the one per cent freight fee.
“The Bill is still with the National Assembly. You know that they have been on recess. They were supposed to resume last week but I think they moved it forward.
“As soon as the National Assembly resumes sitting, they will look at this quickly and then do all the corrections and send it back”.
