Former President Obasanjo Advises FG Against Reviving Shipping Line

The Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday advised the Federal Government against resuscitating the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Line.

Former President Obasanjo gave the advice in Lagos in his address as the Chairman of a two-day stakeholders’ conference on the maritime industry.

Former president blamed the demise of NNSL on the lack of professionalism and high level corruption at the time.

He said: “NNSL had been liquidated.

“They tried Nigeria Unity Line, it collapsed.

“Nineteen brand new ships were specially built for Nigeria.

“We did not take delivery of some of them until I left office in 1979.

“When I came back in 1999, NNSL had been liquidated with all the 19 ships gone as well as the five ships in existence.

“Two of the ships were missing for almost two years and it was discovered that one military man was using them all over the world and no accountability.

The former president urged the present administration to “think out of the box and come up with what should be done to grow the maritime industry”.

Obasanjo added: “Until NIMASA became a source of where people steal money, nobody knew too much about it.