The Nigerian Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA) has successfully elected new executives as Otunba Sola Adewumi emerged President at the polls which held in Apapa, Lagos, earlier today.
Adewumi, Director of JS Shipping and Trading, polled 21 votes to defeat Mr. Jegede Paul, Managing Director of JAPAUL Group, who only got two votes from the 25 accredited voters.
Meanwhile, Otunba Olawale Jubril emerged unopposed for the position of General Secretary of NISA with 20 votes. Mr. Gbolahan Adu emerged Publicity Secretary; Mohammed Malik as Financial Secretary and Wor-Degbetuwa Sammy was elected as the Association’s Treasurer.
Speaking with newsmen, shortly after his landslide victory, the new President, Adewumi preached unity among the executives and the association at large as the new executives pilot NISA affairs for the next two years.
Adewumi, equally pledged to work closely with members of the association and other relevant stakeholders in the shipping industry to refloat the Nigerian Maritime Expo (NIMAREX).
“We have plans to restructure the moribund secretariat of the association and we will also look at having the famous Nigerian Maritime Expo NIMAREX again before the end of the year,” he said.
He, however, stressed that all hands will be on deck to change the narratives of the shipping business in Nigeria; adding that plans are already afoot to reunite ship owners in Nigeria as practitioners in the sector need to speak with one voice.
On his part, the Chairman of the NISA Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Isaac Jolapomo charged the newly elected executives to work closer with members of the association and industry stakeholders.
Jolapomo expressed delight at the peaceful election, even as he encouraged the losers in the contest to support the new executives in order to help grow the association.
The electoral process was observed by maritime stakeholders from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Maritime Journalists, Master Mariners, among others.