***CALLS FOR APPOINTMENT OF QUALIFIED NIGERIANS TO HEAD MARITIME AGENCIES
By Ambrose Obioma Okehi (News Emperor)
An Employment Consultant and straeggist, Princess (Mrs) Ronke Kosoko has congratulated the President-elect, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his victory in the 2023 Presidential election held on February 25, 2023.
The President-elect, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu contested under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC), and defeated the candidates of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that of Labour Party, Peter Obi to emerge as the winner of the Presidential election.
The outspoken employment solution consultant however urged the incoming president to appoint the right people, qualified and competent hands to man the maritime agencies in the maritime sector of the country.
Speaking to newsmen in APAPA Lagos on Wednesday, the CEO of Employment Clinic, Princess (Mrs.) Ronke Kosoko pointed out that to make maritime industry the fulcrum of his administration’s economic policy trust, the incoming president (Tinubu) must pick capable and qualified experts to head the agencies in the sector.
Mrs. Kosoko also extended her congratulatory message to the just re-elected Lagos State Governor, Sanwo Olu Babajide for his victory at the March 18,2023 governorship/State House of Assembly election.
The Employment Consultant whose organisation has what she called “Maritime Conversion Programme (MCP),” which she said was designed to introduce Nigerian graduates to the maritime sector and thereby improving their career prospects.
While addressing maritime media at Morlap House in Apapa, Lagos on that Wednesday, Mrs. Kosoko pleaded with the President-elect, Tinubu to ensure that qualified Nigerians are appointed to head government agencies in the industry.
According to her, that will help ro address the myriad problems that mitigate the growth of the industry which,, assuring that her programme, if well embraced is capable of addressing youth unemployment in the country.
She said:
“Tinubu can’t say no to maritime industry. We have been talking to people we know who can be in his cabinet on the economic prospect of the industry for the nation and the need to address various problems which have plagued the sector. We wanted people with experience be appointed to key agencies in the industry. We want the industry to reclaim its glory.
“The Lagos State 30 years Masterplan launched in 2022 can’t work without maritime. It is important for the Lagos State government to pay more attention to provision of infrastructure that can aid the growth of the industry in the state,” Kosoko counselled Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu.
The maritime consultant strategist (Kosoko) maintained that her Maritime Conversion Programme (MC), already has the backing of the government through the Ministry of Transportation and would give support and connect not less than 5000 Nigerian graduates with the right employers in the industry who can engage them in non-technical aspects of the shipping.
Mrs. Ronke Kosoko however added under MCP that women in the maritime sector would not be left out in the whole arrangement as they would be given adequate percentage according to UN’s Gender Equality package, emphasising that MCP is not creating jobs but providing the opportunity and the needed links or what could be called a fertile ground for transfer of knowledge from old Nigerians in the industry to young ones.